It is not certainly know who was the founder of Dublin, or _Dubhlywn_,
as the name was written formerly. Some learned historians say it was
Avellanus, one of the Danish Vikings, an adventurous sort of monarchs
of old times, very much given to a seafaring life, and piratical
depredations. If Avellanus was the founder--and I don't dispute that
he was--he showed great taste and wisdom in selecting the site of a
city. It has a beautiful harbor; the River Liffey flows through it, a
picturesque country lies around it, and in sight are romantic valleys
and dark gorges and noble hills, which don't stop far short of real
mountains.
Dublin remained under the rule of the Danish Sea-kings, and their
descendants, till they were conquered by the English, in the year 1170.
They were, however, put down for a time in the year 1014, by a league
of native princes, led by the great king, Brien-Boro. It was during
this struggle that the famous battle of Clontarf was fought.
Brien-Boro was a model monarch--the King Alfred of Ireland. So
perfectly were the laws administered in his reign, that it was said a
fair damsel might travel alone, from one end of the Kingdom to the
other, with a gold ring on the top of a wand, without danger of being
robbed. I doubt very much, however, if any young lady ever performed
such a journey.
From the year 1173, when Henry II. received the submission of the Irish
princes, and the last Irish king, Roderic O'Connor, Ireland has
remained under the government of England, and though it has had several
bloody rebellions, it has never been really independent. The Irish
formerly had a parliament of their own, but toward the close of the
last century it was suppressed, and the union made complete.
The governors of Ireland have always been called viceroys, or
lord-lieutenants. Dublin Castle was built for their residence, but for
some time past it has been abandoned for "The Lodge," in Phoenix Park.
The Castle is a massive, gloomy-looking building, now principally
occupied by the military.
The Parliament House, now the Bank of Ireland, the Custom-House, and
Trinity College, are beautiful buildings; but I did not admire the
cathedrals and churches very much, after those of England. The church
of St. Anne is interesting, as containing the tomb of Felicia Hemans.
We drove about the town on a jaunting car, with a talkative driver,
seeing all the sights and listening to strange, wild legends. In the
pretty cemetery of Glasneven, we saw, through the grating of a vault,
the magnificent coffin which contains the body of Daniel O'Connell, the
great orator. We enjoyed most our drive in Phoenix Park, a noble
enclosure, filled with fine trees and shrubbery, flowers, birds, gentle
deer, and playful, brown-eyed fawns.
But if we liked the streets, buildings, and parka of Dublin, we liked
the _people_ better. Very courteous, generous, and cordial we found
all those to whose hospitality we had been commended--and warm at my
heart is now, and ever will be, the dear memory of my good Dublin
friends.
A pleasant excursion from the city is to the Bay, which is considered
one of the most beautiful in the world; and to Howth Harbor, formerly
the landing-place of the Dublin packets, but now superseded by Kingston.
The first object which strikes one on approaching Dublin by sea, is the
famous Hill of Howth, which rises bold and high, on the northern coast
of the bay, and stands like the great guardian and champion of Ireland.
The Dublin people are as proud of this as the Neapolitans are of Mount
Vesuvius, which overlooks their noble bay of Naples. "Ah, sure ma'am,"
said an Irish sailor,--"it's as fine an ilivation, barrin' a few
thousand feet of height, as that same smokin', rumblin' ould cratur,
an' a dale betther behaved."
At Howth there are some very interesting Druidical remains to be seen,
a fine old castle and an abbey, in which repose many brave and famous
knights--the Tristrams and St. Lawrences, barons of Howth.
There is a curious and romantic legend of Howth Castle, which I will
relate here.