OUR EXPERIENCES IN COUNTY KERRY
As we winged our way above the railroad ties we rested after the
excitement of Killarney. We were now in the heart of Kerry. This part
of Ireland is not as prosperous as some other parts. The land is hilly
and rocky. Fences are generally made of stone. The little cottages
are also built of stone, thatched with straw. We could see the stack
of peats beside them to be used as fuel, and the little potato patch
which furnished food. Blue smoke was beginning to curl in the air from
some of these cabins, telling us that rural Ireland was awakening for
another day of life, such as it is.
Of all the sensations that ever visited Ireland, we surely were the
greatest in modern times. We were much amused to see the different
ways in which our appearance in the air was greeted. Sometimes the
children (plentiful throughout all Ireland) would be playing in front
of the cabin. As they heard the noise of our motor we could see them
stop their play and gaze at us in amazement, and then, with a yell, all
would dive at once for the door of their home. The mother, generally
with a baby in her arms, would appear quickly. Sometimes the woman
would shriek, like the children, and run inside again. At other times
we noticed the women get down on their knees, as in prayer. Once
or twice, the woman ran out and waved her arms at us, as though in
greeting. The men generally looked stolidly at us in mute amazement.
We had an exciting time when passing a morning train coming from
Tralee. We could see it smoking in the distance, and to avoid a
collision, as Mike said, we turned the aeroplane about 100 feet to
the right side of the track. The engineer caught sight of us first,
and signalled us with a number of toots on his whistle. The tooting
brought the passengers to the windows and soon heads were sticking out
along the side of the train from one end to the other. They waved their
hats, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, newspapers, and I saw one old gentleman
vigorously shaking a book at us. I took out my handkerchief and waved
it in return. The engineer kept tooting his whistle until he was far
past us.
We watched the little Kerry cows, which looked carefully for any stray
vegetation to be found in the Kerry uplands, for we had heard that the
Kerry cow never looks up, for fear it would lose a bite. Certainly
none looked up at us. Cows and men have a serious time of it in Kerry,
forcing a churlish soil for daily food. Many of the men in Kerry spend
part of the year in England working there, while the wives and children
look after the cabbage and potato patches. We saw pigs and goats, and a
few sheep around some of the cottages.
The English Government has a Board, called the Congested Districts’
Board, which is at present doing excellent work in assisting the people
of Kerry and others of these hilly western counties. This board aids
in migration to other parts of Ireland, if it is found necessary,
and also assists in developing the country as far as is possible.
Breeds of stock are improved through its help, and industries, such
as rug-making, lace-making and basket-making, are encouraged. This
Board has also been useful in developing the fisheries industry on the
west coast by constructing landing places and equipping boats for the
fishermen.
As the morning advanced, and the entire population had aroused itself
we were kept in a state of continual amusement by the excitement we
caused, as we whizzed across the solitary moors. I felt real sympathy
with Bridget, who, as she walked from the wedding altar on Pat’s arm,
whispered to him:
“If we could only stand and see ourselves now, wouldn’t it be hivin,
Pat?” I felt if we could only see ourselves from the ground and hear
the comments of the natives our bliss would have been full.
We passed Tralee at 6:35. This is a pretty town situated on Tralee Bay.
There are many beautiful residences in its neighborhood. Lord Kirchener
was born here.
We were 200 feet in the air when we swept at full speed over the
closely built houses of the town. We could see a few people stirring on
the streets and they looked up at us in wonder, but did not make any
manifestation. Evidently they knew what an aeroplane was.
After passing Tralee we kept close to the coast, and soon saw the wide
mouth of the river Shannon ahead of us. This is Ireland’s largest
river, 220 miles long, pouring itself into the sea North of County
Kerry. The Kerry coast is rather bleak and it was with a feeling of
relief that we rushed across the wide mouth of the Shannon into County
Clare.
Here our motor gave its first trouble. As we were crossing the Shannon
it alarmed me by beginning to “knock” (as motorists say) and Mike told
me the sparker was not working properly. We had planned to make our
first landing at Kilkee on the coast of Clare, and, as this was not far
distant, Mike kept on at full speed along the coast. The coast scenery
here is rugged and grand. Kilkee is situated at the head of a little
bay, called Moore’s Bay. When we reached this bay Mike sped clear out
over its waters, to my amazement, and then turned up the bay to Kilkee.
Coming up the bay we could see much excitement on the shore near the
town. People were running down to the shore from all directions. Mike
circled over the town, about 300 feet in the air, and then came down on
a level stretch of coast beside the village.
Kilkee is over 100 miles from Cork, as the crow, or aeroplane, flies.
We landed exactly at 8:00 o’clock. As I stepped from my seat, I felt
stiff and lame, but a little exercise straightened me out. Mike busied
himself at once with the motor. He began unscrewing the spark plugs and
overhauling the whole engine.
Meanwhile the crowd kept gathering until, I suppose, in ten minutes,
the entire town was standing around us open-mouthed. The boys in the
crowd closed in on us at once and began asking all sorts of questions.
When we told them we were from America the buzz of excitement grew
louder, as they thought at first that we had crossed the Atlantic,
since we came directly from the sea. Mike, at last, explained that we
had only come from Cork that morning. This was wonderful enough to them
and we heard all kinds of exclamations. “The Saints preserve us,” said
one good lady, with a shawl wrapped around her head, “what’s the world
coming to?”
“Begorra,” said a genuine Irishman, “I never thought they could make a
crow out of a man.”
Some volunteered the information that they had sons, or brothers, in
America, and it was not long until the crowd and us were on familiar
terms. We hired two honest-looking fellows to watch the aeroplane, and
keep the boys off from it, while we went down the straggling street of
the town, looking for a place to get some refreshments.
A man, whom one of the bystanders assured us was “the bist man in
town,” took us in charge and escorted us to his own home. His good
wife, a kindly, middle-aged Irish woman of the middle class, soon had
a cup of hot tea and some “scones” ready for us. This was our first
taste of Irish hospitality and it astonished us.
We found our host a most companionable man. When we explained our plans
about an aeroplane trip all around Ireland, he said:
“You Americans can do anything.”
Our host accompanied us back to the airship where there was still the
same wondering crowd. The two watchmen were busy keeping the little
lads away from the machine. They helped Mike arrange the starting rail,
and Mike and I took our seats.
Our guards cleared the way. Mike started the motor, and shouted
“Good-bye.”
“Bye-bye,” shouted the crowd, in the heartiest way.
“Come back again,” shouted our host.
At this a little boy piped up, to the amusement of us all:
“Fly away Jack, fly away Jill;
Come back Jack, come back Jill.”
Amid cheers we arose lightly from the earth, and were soon speeding
once more up the Clare coast towards Galway. We left Kilkee at 9:00
o’clock.