Romantic Ireland; volume 2/2

ille in 546. There was also an abbey for Cistercian nuns founded in 1218, and a Dominican friary founded in

of London. Derry, the ancient name, means "the place of oaks." All this part of Ulster was once heavily forested, but it is now conspicuously bare. Nearly 160,0

lso a place of much interest, as will be found upon a close acquaintance, though it is unquestionably a curious mixture of old and new,

litary science and architecture, which favoured the method advanced in the Spart

six) piercing the city walls, Bishops Gate

ndour to those of its class in other lands, and dates only from the early sevent

RR

to the visitor's attention at every turning-point and stoppi

e event took

umbers throughout Ireland, in pursuance of an oath which they had taken, were to rise and massacre the Protestants, men, women, and children. This l

e Irish appeared on the opposite bank of the stream, and the officers were ferried over to make proposals for entering the town, which was nearly betrayed into their hands by the treachery of

ks, Robert Sherrard, Alexander Irwin, James Steward, Robert Morrison, Alexander Coningham, Samuel Hunt, with James Spike, John Coningham, William Cairns, Samuel Harvey, and some others who soon joined the

to find more than two days' provisions of such substances, the garrison was still assured by the harangues of Walker, in a prophetic spirit, that God would relieve them; and men reduced almost to shadows made desperate sallies, but were unable to pursue their advantage." The besiegers had thrown a boom across the riv

ens died of famine or at the han

t is thought to have been an ancient royal residence which, in splendour and

e sure, only fragmentary ruins remain, was a former temple dedicated to the wors

area of eighty-two feet in diameter. Judging from the numbers of stones which have fallen off on every side, so as to form, in fact, a sloping glacis of ten or twelve feet broad all around it, this wall must have been of considerable height, probably from ten to twelve feet;

entation of the "Giant's Causeway," with its queer, hassocklike, basaltic stones, built in fanta

oprietors of ardent spirit which is distilled at Bushmills,-an ancient town of perhaps a thousand inhabitants, between Portrush, Coleraine, and the basalt-bound co

familiar to all. So, too, most people are familiar with the chief charac

n of the inquisitive, and from that time on its peculiarities have drawn many thousands of visitors of all rank

ons, which lie on their sides, and the varying heights of the columns form those significantly named groups known a

e three Causeways. It stands near the east side of the Grand Causeway. There are but three pillars of nine sides; one of them situated in the Honeycomb, and the others not far from the triangular pillar just noticed.

description,

OMB, GIANT

, the antiquarian who devoted so much of his energy

e can see and handle, may yet be wrapped in unfathomable mystery. We see in the Giant's Causeway the most certain and obvious effects produced by the operation of active and powerful forces which entirely escape our scrutiny. We walk over the heads of some forty thousand columns (for this number has been counted by some curious and leisurely persons), all beautifully cut and polished, formed of such neat pieces, so exactly fitted to each other, and so cleverly supported, that w

nd many more like most other caves, presenting no striking peculiarity. Portcoon Cave is n

nature had provided for the former Gargantuan inhabitants of these parts, but the chief of all the attraction

c personage seated as if before a keyboard, and ringing out wild melodies in quick succession. It will take an exceedingly vivid imagination to call up this inspiration, and one had much better accept the t

him, and even dared to tell Fin that if it weren't for the wetting of himself, he would swim over and give him a drubbing. Fin at last applied to the king, who, not daring, perhaps, to question the doings of such a weighty man, gave him leave to construct a causeway right to Scotland, on which the Scot walked over and fought the Irishman. Fin turned out victor, and with an amount of generosity quite becoming his Hibernian descent, kindly allowed his forme

hose conditions. It is certainly a picturesque one, and the great gateway of the

cene from Dante's Inferno. More particularly they might be likened to a drawing of Gustave Doré's, illustrating that immortal

e nightmare of scenic effe

ce Castle, "the most picturesque ruin ever beheld," said an enthusiastic Irishman. A

a precipitous and jagged barrier which might well be expected to forbid any attack by sea. It is, moreover, entirely separated from the mainland, thou

icult to follow this line of reasoning; more probably the true solution of the problem is that the wind, having free access to and egress from the apartment, carries dust and dirt before it. Another chamber in the

ful in their enterprise, M'Donald returned to Dunluce, and was pressed to winter in the castle, having his men quartered on the vassals of M'Quillan. M'Donald, however, took advantage of his position as a guest, says history, and privately married the daughter of his host. Upon this marriage the MacDonnells afterward rested their claim to M'Quillan's territory. A conspiracy among the Irish to murder the Scottish chief and his followers was discovered by

ter Scott, who observed a great resemblance in it to Dunottar Castle in K

their way and the traveller by sea knows that he is well in toward the Firth of Clyde. Rathlin Island may naturally enough be presumed to

following year. A ruined castle, said to be inhabited by Bruce, and still bearing his name, is situated on a high, almost perpendicular piece of land,

dge. It has even been pictured in the school geographies a

CK-A-

f admission. Nevertheless, it is a more or less frightful crossing, and one which seems to fascinate all who view it; so much so that the desire to emulate the venturesome native rises high in the stranger's breast. There is no hand-rail to the bridge, only a rope that swings clear away from the slight foothold if it is heavily grasped; and each step makes the whole fabric quiver like a jelly from end to end. Still, by stepping quickly and lightly, and keeping the eyes fixed on the opposite rock, the pass can be made; and if the venturesome traveller misses his footing, and takes a header of a hundred feet, "he