large circular chamber, adorned with statuary, which was built
especially for the reception of George IV. when he visited Ireland. The
Oak Room is entirely sheathed, floor, ceiling, and walls, with a rich
reddish brown oak, delicately carved. Over the fireplace is a rack for
the reception of the mace and sword which are the symbols of office, and
formerly, when the lord mayor went about on official occasions, they
were carried before him, but Mr. O'Reilly and his recent predecessors
have abolished many of those interesting old ceremonies.
There are some fine pictures in the Mansion House, portraits of Charles
II. by Sir Peter Lely, George IV. by Sir Thomas Lawrence, the Earl of
Northumberland by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and the Earl of Westmorland by
Romney. In the entrance hall are preserved the mace and sword carried by
the lord mayor who fought for James II. at the battle of the Boyne. When
he fled with the rest of James's forces he dropped the heavy insignia,
which fell into the hands of the Williamites and were retained by them
until a duplicate set had been furnished, many years after.
Many famous men have been entertained at the Mansion House, including
General Grant, who visited Dublin during the holidays of 1878; Capt.
Edward E. Potter, commander of the United States man-of-war
_Constellation_, which brought a cargo of food to the starving people of
Ireland in 1880; the Hon. Patrick A. Collins, while he was Mayor of
Boston, who, by the way, is recorded as a senator from Massachusetts, a
distinction he never attained. The Hon. Richard Croker, formerly of New
York, received the freedom of the city of Dublin several years ago, and
has been a frequent guest at the Mansion House, although he moves about
very modestly and puts on no airs.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is elected annually on the 23d of December by
the aldermen and councilmen and must be one of their number. He has a
deputy who exercises authority during his illness or absence. There are
fifteen aldermen and forty-five members of the council, whose authority
and powers are very much the same as in our cities at home.
The headquarters of the mayor are in the City Hall, which was formerly
the Royal Exchange, where merchants met daily to make bargains and sign
contracts. It was used as a prison during the rebellion of '98, and has
had other experiences. As you enter the building through the vestibule
you pass into a large circular room, with a dome sustained by many
columns, which was formerly the trading place, but is now the anteroom
to the mayor's office and is usually filled with politicians and place
hunters, which are quite as numerous in Ireland as they are anywhere
else.
The name of the capital of Ireland is a compound of two Gaelic words,
Dubh-Linn, which signify "the black pool," and was bestowed upon it more
than two thousand years ago. There is a complete history of the city
since the year 150 A.D., when a warlike king called "Conn of a Hundred
Battles," who had long been the overlord of all Ireland, was defeated by
his rival, "Mogh of Munster," and compelled to consent to a division of
territory, the line being drawn from High Street, Dublin, across to the
Atlantic Ocean near Galway. Three centuries later St. Patrick stopped on
his way from Wicklow to his home at Armagh. The people complained to him
of the bad quality of the water they were obliged to drink and he
relieved them by causing a miraculous fountain to spring up near the
site of the present cathedral that bears his name. In 1152 Dublin became
the seat of an archbishopric by a decree of the pope and, shortly after
the landing of Henry II., became the seat of the English government. In
1210 King John visited Ireland again and conferred many privileges upon
the city. In 1394 King Richard came over with an army of thirty-four
thousand and lived in great splendor in Dublin. All of the Irish
chieftains submitted to his conciliatory policy. The great O'Neill, King
of Ulster; MacMurrough, King of Leinster; O'Brien of Munster, and
O'Connor of Connaught, the four kings of Ireland, were knighted and
promised allegiance, but no sooner had Richard returned to England than
the country was again in confusion.
In 1409 the "pale" (or inclosure) of Ireland was established, with the
city of Dublin as its capital, a narrow strip of land thirty miles long
by twenty wide, which alone was under English control and whose
inhabitants alone in all Ireland could be relied upon to respect the
royal commands. Dublin has been besieged, invaded by pirates, has been
swept with plague and pestilence, and has been fought over by rival
princes, but has kept growing, and in Queen Elizabeth's time reached
such commercial importance that it was necessary to erect a custom-house
and a lighthouse to show the channel to those who went down to the sea
in ships. The people were famous for their wealth and fashion. An
official band of musicians played three times a week through the chief
streets, there was a city physician, a fire department, an attempt at
sanitation and waterworks were introduced, each citizen being allowed as
much water daily as would flow through a quill.
In 1661 the people of Dublin spent $150,000, which was an enormous sum
in those days, to celebrate the restoration, with banquets, fireworks, a
pageant, and various other evidences of rejoicing. And the king, as an
acknowledgment, sent the mayor a gold chain and conferred upon him the
title of "The Right Honorable, the Lord Mayor of Dublin." Under the
administration of Ormonde, Dublin expanded on all sides, and has since
been growing, although from time to time there have been periods of
distress and disorder.
[Illustration: THE FOUR COURTS, DUBLIN]
Gradually, however, matters settled down into civilization and order.
Courts were established, and an imposing building called "The Four
Courts" was erected to accommodate the four divisions of the
judiciary,--chancery, king's bench, exchequer, and common pleas. In
early times each term of court was opened by a religious service, when
the choir of Christ Church would sing an anthem and the dean would offer
prayer. One of the boundaries of the Four Courts was a dark, narrow
passage, which a wit, struck with its gloom, nicknamed "Hell," and
carried out his idea by erecting at the entrance a fantastic figure
supposed to represent the evil one. A Dublin newspaper of that date
contains an advertisement reading as follows:
"Lodgings to let in Hell, suitable for a lawyer."
You will remember Burns's line: "As sure 's the deil 's in hell, or
Dublin city."
Dublin now has 300,000 population, and, although it is not so
enterprising as Belfast, is one of the few cities in Ireland that shows
growth. The population is divided as follows: Roman Catholic, 237,645;
Church of Ireland, Episcopal, 41,663; Presbyterian, 4,074; Methodist,
2,342.
The means of grace are greater than the hope of glory. Promises of
salvation are offered from fully eighty churches, as follows:
Church of Ireland 20
Church of Ireland (chapels) 20
Roman Catholic 9
Roman Catholic (chapels) 6
Presbyterian 8
Wesleyan 8
Primitive Methodists 2
Independent 3
Friends' meeting-houses 2
Unitarian 1
Baptist 1
The "disestablishment" of the Church of Ireland, by which is meant the
separation of the Protestant Episcopal denomination from the government,
occurred in 1869 under the leadership of Mr. Gladstone as the price of
peace and the termination of the rebellion in Ireland. It was demanded
by the Roman Catholic bishops, who saw the injustice of compelling
people of all denominations, without discrimination, to pay taxes to
support an official church and the propaganda of a faith which they did
not profess. So that branch of the Established Church of England which
was found across St. George's Channel was forcibly divorced and given
alimony amounting to £8,080,000, or about $39,000,000 in American money.
This represented a commutation in advance of the stipends to which the
clergy of that church were entitled under the ecclesiastical laws for a
term of fourteen years, as well as a vast amount of real estate and
other property which belonged to the Established Church and was
transferred to the new organization represented by a commission
appointed for that purpose. At the same time the Presbyterian church of
Ireland received £750,000, the Roman Catholic College of St. Patrick at
Maynooth, £3,372,331, the board of intermediate education for school
purposes, £1,000,000, the pension fund for teachers in Ireland,
£1,127,150 and the Congested Districts Board, £1,500,000. Since that
time these funds have increased in value considerably, and the incomes
from them are devoted to the purposes named. They were paid in lieu of
the annual contributions from the Established Church which had been
enjoyed for many years and were capitalized on the basis of fourteen
years' income; that is, the government in order to satisfy everybody
advanced in lump sums what it would have given in annual installments
for the next fourteen years if the "disestablishment act" had not been
passed.
The general synod which controls the affairs of the Episcopal Church of
Ireland is composed of the two archbishops, the bishops, the deans, and
canons of cathedrals, and archdeacons of diocese. The property of the
church has advanced in value until it is now estimated at more than
£12,000,000, or $60,000,000, and the income is now more than $2,000,000
a year, which is very large in proportion to its numbers.
Total population of Ireland (1901) 4,386,035
Roman Catholic 3,308,661
Church of Ireland 581,080
Presbyterian 443,494
Methodist 61,255
These are the figures furnished by the different church organizations,
but you will notice they exceed the total population by the latest
census and therefore are only approximately correct.
At the time of the disestablishment in 1889 the adherents of the Church
of Ireland numbered 693,347, which is a decrease of 112,258 since that
time. This corresponds very accurately with the general decrease of the
population of the island.
There are now 1,628 churches and chapels belonging to the Church of
Ireland, which is an average of one for every 350 people, and from my
short experience I should say that the members of the church were very
negligent in attending worship.
The Roman Catholic church is the largest, the most prosperous, the most
energetic, and has greater vitality than any other denomination, and is
involved in all the politics and secular affairs as well as the
ecclesiastical administration of the country, which is perfectly
natural, because 74 per cent of the entire population belong to that
denomination, and the number as reported--3,308,661--are divided among
1,084 parishes with 2,350 houses of worship, churches, and chapels.
The constant stream of emigration which flows from Ireland to the United
States, Canada, Australia, and other more progressive and prosperous
countries comes chiefly from the Roman Catholic church, which lost
238,646 members, or 6.7 per cent of its numbers, between the last two
official censuses of the country. The Church of Ireland lost 3.2 per
cent from a total of 13 per cent, the Presbyterians 0.4, while the
Methodists increased 11.7 per cent, the Jews increased 119 per cent, and
other religious persuasions 9.1 per cent.
But it is strange to say that the numbers of priests and monks and nuns
are increasing every year, while the number of parishioners is falling
off. In 1851, when the island had twice its present population, there
were 2,291 priests in Ireland; in 1901 there were 3,157, of whom 4 were
archbishops, 27 bishops, 392 monks, and the remainder parish priests,
including chaplains and professors in educational institutions. The
total of priests increased 307 during the last ten years. There are many
monasteries, nunneries, and other monastic and educational houses in
Ireland--93 for men and 242 for women.
The Presbyterians are third in numerical strength, wealth, and
influence, and are found mostly in the northern part of the country. The
membership represents the manufacturing, mercantile, and commercial
classes, while the Church of Ireland represents the landowners, the
government officials, the aristocracy, nobility, and the gentry. The
Presbyterians have a higher average of wealth than any other
denomination. Their contributions to benevolent purposes in 1907 were
$1,040,000, which is very large for a population of 443,494 and 106,000
communicants. There were 96,000 children on the roll of the Presbyterian
Sunday schools in 567 churches, which are distributed among 36
presbyteries and 5 synods. The minutes of the recent general assembly
show 650 clergymen of that faith.
The Methodists are active and energetic, and ever since John Wesley
appeared in Ireland in August, 1747, they have been strong in the faith.
They are mostly in the cities among the middle classes, and the latest
returns show 250 churches, 248 ministers and evangelists, 358 Sunday
schools, and 26,000 scholars, for a total population of 61,255.
There are several other denominational organizations. Friends'
meeting-houses are found in several of the cities of Ireland, and the
members of that faith have been here for centuries. Macroom Castle, in
which William Penn was born, is still standing, and the Castle of
Blackrock, the place where he embarked for America, is now a popular
Sunday resort for the working people of that city.
IV
DUBLIN CASTLE
Dublin Castle does not correspond with the conventional idea of what a
castle should be. It looks more like the dormitory of an ancient
university or a hospital or military barracks, although there are two
ancient towers in which many men have been imprisoned and in which
several patriots have died, and the south side of the pile, which
overlooks a beautiful lawn in the very center of Dublin, has quite the
appearance of a fortress. It has been the scene of much bloody history,
much treachery and cruelty, and many deeds of valor have been done in
the two courtyards. One of the viceroys of the sixteenth century, in a
letter to the King of England describing its partial destruction by
fire, wrote that he had "lost nothing but a few barrels of powder and
the worst castle in the worst situation in Christendom".
A certain portion of the building is reserved for the official residence
of the lord lieutenant, and there are long suites of quaint old rooms
with antique furniture, usually disguised with its summer wrapping of
pink-flowered chintz, in which kings and queens and dukes and earls have
been entertained for centuries. In olden times it was the habit of the
lord lieutenant to permit his guests to go to the wine cellar with
glasses in their hands and drink from whatever hogshead they pleased,
and it is recorded that some gentlemen who were imbibing longer than
usual sent the cellarer to the Duke of Ormonde, who then occupied the
office, to provide them with chairs. With that true wit that
distinguishes the Irish race, high and low, the duke replied that he did
not encourage his guests to drink any longer than they could stand. This
custom was abandoned by the Earl of Halifax, owing to the carelessness
of certain bewildered gentlemen who left the wine running out of the
spigot and lost him many gallons of precious Madeira.
The present lord lieutenant, Lord Aberdeen, spends as little time in the
castle as possible, because the viceregal lodge, his country residence,
which is only half an hour's drive distant in Phoenix Park, is so much
more comfortable and homelike, but all state ceremonies must take place
at the castle, and their excellencies and the household usually bring in
their court costumes early in February, for the season commences on the
second Tuesday with a levee, a drawing-room on Wednesday, a reception on
Thursday, and on Friday a banquet. During the ensuing week a state ball
is given, and twice a week thereafter entertainments until the 17th of
March, when the season is finished with St. Patrick's ball. The
presentation of guests may be arranged for at the levees or the
drawing-room, and everybody who has been presented can go to the ball.
The inauguration of a new viceroy takes place in the throne-room, where
also a farewell reception is held when he retires.
The castle dates back to the days when it was necessary to have some
stronghold, as the king said, "to curb the city as well as to defend
it," and to provide a safe place for the custody of the royal treasure.
It was located in the center of the present city of Dublin, but at the
time was outside the original walls of the town, upon what is called
Cork Hill, because Richard Boyle, the Earl of Cork, had his castle upon
the slight elevation it now occupies. Meiller Fitzhenry, an illegitimate
son of Henry II., designed and began the building. It was finished in
1213, and from that period has been the center of Irish history. Very
little of the original structure remains--only a portion of the walls.
The towers have been cut down and modernized. One of them is now used
for a supper-room for social occasions, and a kitchen is on the lower
floor. The other, which was originally a prison, and is the most
complete surviving fragment of the ancient fortress, is a repository for
historical documents and the records of the government for the last
four or five centuries. There are three circular rooms, one above the
other; the walls are nineteen feet thick in places, and four or five
long, narrow cells are built into them like recesses and lighted only by
a narrow strip at the far end. One of these cells has a secret chamber
hidden in the wall, and accessible only by a revolving door, which is
difficult to distinguish from the rest of the stone.
[Illustration: THE CASTLE, DUBLIN; OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE LORD
LIEUTENANT AND HEADQUARTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT]
The tower has not been used as a prison since 1798 and 1803, the
rebellions of Emmet and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, and the documents
relating to their conspiracy are preserved there in the very cells where
the men who were convicted by them lay awaiting trial and execution. The
late Mr. Lecky, the historian, searched them thoroughly, and gave a
surprising account of the character of the private papers that were
seized with the effects of the patriots in those days. Love letters,
poems, reflections on various subjects, rules of conduct, maxims of the
sages, drafts of speeches, and proclamations in soaring language, and
many attempts at literary work are mixed up with the reports of spies,
informers, detectives, and officials,--some of them from comrades whose
treachery was never suspected and which Mr. Lecky was not permitted to
publish even at this late day. Some people think these malicious and
incriminating documents should be destroyed lest they may sometime come
to light and ruin the reputation of men who are highly esteemed by their
fellow countrymen. But no one seems willing to give the instructions.
In 1583 a "trial by combat" took place in the courtyard of the castle
between Connor MacCormack O'Connor and Teague Kilpatrick O'Connor to
settle the responsibility for the murder of a clansman. The weapons were
sword and shield. The lord justices and the councillors, the
governor-general, the sheriffs, and other officials were present to
witness the trial. As was the custom and usage in trials by combat, each
man was made to take an oath that he believed his quarrel just, and was
ready to maintain it to the death. After a fierce struggle Teague cut
off the head of his cousin and presented it on the point of his sword to
the lord justices. For many generations the Irish parliament used to
assemble at the castle. The first was called in 1328, another in 1585,
another in 1639, and the accounts of the expenses of the lord lieutenant
show that during the two weeks that parliament was in session the
viceregal household consumed ten bullocks, forty sheep, sixteen
hogsheads of beer, and various other refreshments to a similar extent.
Oliver Cromwell, when in Dublin, resided at the castle, and in 1654 his
youngest son was born there. While Henry Cromwell was viceroy he was
driven from the castle and went to live at the viceregal lodge. In 1689,
after the battle of the Boyne, in which William of Orange defeated James
Stuart, the latter took possession of the castle, but slept there only
one night.
The court of Dublin has been insignificant but lively, and has reflected
the characteristics of the Irish nobility, who were as fond of a frolic
as they were of a fight, and never allowed their sense of decorum or the
laws of etiquette to interfere with their pleasure. A hundred years ago
ladies, upon being presented for the first time, were solemnly kissed by
the viceroy, which was more or less agreeable to him, according to the
age and attractions of his guests. One of them who was noted for his wit
remarked that he got his kisses as a spendthrift borrows from a usurer,
"part in old wine, part in dubious paintings, and part in bright gold
and silver." With all its wit and brilliancy the court has at times been
noted for a low state of morality, and at one period that portion of the
castle which contains the state apartments was nicknamed "hell's
half-acre" by a satirist.
A figure of Justice which adorns the pediment of the main gate has been
the object of much wit and satire for two centuries. Dean Swift once
declared that she sat with her face to the viceroy and her back to the
people. There are a few good portraits and other pictures in the
residence portion of the building, including some pretty medallions in
the wall of the throne-room, which are credited to Angelica Kauffman,
but nobody knows when or how she happened to paint them.
The mantel of one of the rooms is of black Spanish oak taken from the
cabin of the flagship of the Spanish Armada which was wrecked on the
Irish coast after the great sea battle of 1588.
The finest of all the rooms is St. Patrick's Hall, which was designed by
the great Lord Chesterfield when he was lord lieutenant of Ireland, and
has always been much admired by architects because of its proportions
and its lofty painted ceilings representing events in Irish history. The
banners of the twenty-four knights of St. Patrick are suspended from
either side, and the crimson draperies and upholstering of Irish poplin
give the apartment an attractive color. Duplicates of these banners hang
in the choir of St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the knights used to meet
before 1869, but they have always had their headquarters in the castle,
and the Ulster king of arms, the executive officer of the order, is the
master of ceremonies at the castle, senior officer in the household of
the lord lieutenant, the highest authority on rank and precedent in
Ireland, and his seal is necessary to give legal value to patents of
Irish peerages. He decides all questions of etiquette, nominates the
persons who are presented at the viceregal drawing-room, arranges for
all ceremonies, and in processions of state he rides or walks
immediately in front of the lord lieutenant, carrying the sword of state
as the emblem of the authority of the king.
The office has been in existence since the Middle Ages. Its incumbent
was formerly the custodian of the arms, the chief of the heralds, and
the keeper of the royal jewels. He has an office in what is known as
Bedford Tower, immediately facing the principal entrance to the
viceroy's residence, with a large suite of rooms for his own use, and
two or three clerks to look after his business. Otherwise the office
carries no compensation except £20 a year and such few fees as are paid
for searching the records of the Irish peerage and furnishing
certificates of pedigree and title similar to those that are sought at
the College of Heralds in London.