Bits of Blarney Read online

  Produced by Nicole Henn-Kneif, sp1nd and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Thisfile was produced from images generously made availableby The Internet Archive)

  BITS OF BLARNEY

  BY

  R. SHELTON MACKENZIE

  EDITOR OF "THE LIFE OF CURRAN," "SHEIL'S SKETCHES OF THE IRISH BAR," &c.

 

  REDFIELD

  No 34 BEEKMAN STREET

  NEW YORK.

  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, byJ. S. REDFIELD,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, forthe Southern District of New York.

  EDWARD O. JENKINS, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER, 26 Frankfort St., N. Y.

  TO J. S. REDFIELD, ESQ.

  MY DEAR SIR:--The deified heroes of the Norse mythology are believed tospend their afternoons in drinking something stronger than lemonade outof their enemies' skulls, and some ill-natured persons, seizing on theidea, have declared that publishers use the skulls of their authors asdrinking-cups, in the same manner. For my own part, I discredit theassertion--as far as my relations with yourself enable me to judge; Isuspect that the time has gone by when Napoleon's health was drank as "afriend of literature," because he had shot a bookseller; and I give youunlimited permission to use my skull, in the Norse fashion, providedthat you wait until "in death I shall calm recline," when I shall haveno further occasion for it. In such case, the least you can do will beto drink my memory, "in solemn silence"--the beverage beingwhiskey-punch, as a delicate compliment to my country.

  Seriously speaking (or writing), however, I take leave to dedicate thisvolume to you, with the solemn assurance that my doing so must not betaken as--a Bit of Blarney.

  The book is Irish--to all intents and purposes, and is put forth withthe least possible pretence. It contains Legends--familiar to me in myyouth; Stories, which, more or less, are literally "founded upon facts;"recollections of Eccentric Characters, whose peculiarities it would havebeen difficult to exaggerate;--and Sketches of the two great Irishleaders of the last and present century, Grattan, who won NationalIndependence for Ireland, and O'Connell, who obtained Emancipation forthe great majority of his countrymen. The Sketch of the great Agitatorhas extended almost to a biography--but I knew the man well, and writeof him on that knowledge. In _this_ volume he is certainly entitled to aniche, having been the greatest professor of "Blarney" these later dayshave seen or heard.

  Yours faithfully, R. SHELTON MACKENZIE

  NEW YORK, _August 20, 1855_.

  CONTENTS.

  Legends. PAGE

  BLARNEY CASTLE 9

  LEGEND OF THE LAKE 16 LEGEND OF CORRIG-NA-CAT 21 LEGEND OF THE ROCK CLOSE 27

  CON O'KEEFE AND THE GOLDEN CUP 35

  LEGENDS OF FINN MAC COUL 48

  FINN AND THE FISH 53 THE BREAKS OF BALLYNASCORNEY 61 FINN MAC COUL'S FINGER-STONE 64

  Irish Stories.

  THE PETRIFIED PIPER-- 1. WHO THE PIPER WAS 74 2. WHAT THE PIPER DID 85 3. HOW THE PIPER GOT ON 91 4. HOW THE PIPER BECAME A PETRIFACTION 103 5. HOW IT ALL ENDED 121

  THE GERALDINE 145

  CAPTAIN ROCK-- 1. THE WAKE 151 2. THE LEADER 165 3. THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE 172 4. CHURCHTOWN BARRACKS 181 5. THE ATTACK ON ROSSMORE 191 6. THE TRIAL 201

  A NIGHT WITH THE WHITEBOYS 223

  BUCK ENGLISH 231

  Eccentric Characters.

  THE BARD O'KELLY 251

  FATHER PROUT 271

  FATHER PROUT'S SERMON 283

  IRISH DANCING MASTERS 291

  CHARLEY CROFTS 305

  Irish Publicists.

  HENRY GRATTAN 323

  DANIEL O'CONNELL 342

  LEGENDS.