Bits of Blarney
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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.