DP 990 .U46 L6 Copy 1 fi^lj^^flis^iS^; :{?'■ iliiiiy ^^^ trrfix«*«4tl¥^i '■<■:'>■ .■•^. i i&1i^^5 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ChapltelD Copyright No Shc]r.U_4^-_UG UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. r^^- % THE PROVINCE OF ULSTER BY DANIEL LEWIS, M. D. NEW YORK, II. T. Ronalds Printing Company, O- Copyright 1896, by DANIEL LEWIS. TO MY ULSTER FRIENDS. PREFACE. At the meeting of the Alumni Association of Alfred Univeisity, Alfred, New York, held during Commencement week, 1895, an annual course of Alumni Lectures was established. The following pages are essentially one of those lectures delivered by the Author, at Alfred, December 19th, 1895. 252 Madison Ave., D. L. New York. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. Area — Division into Provinces — The Antrim Coast — Rathlin Island — The River Lagan — Lough Neagh and its Legends. CHAPTER II. Lough Erne — Legend of the Lough — County Tyrone — Armagh, the Garden of Ireland — The Geology of Ulster — Gold — Irish Pearls — Legendary History of the First Settlement of Ulster. CHAPTER III. The Siege of Derry — The Battle of Enniskillen — Car- rickfergus Castle — St. Patrick's Birthplace— Early Education— His Mission to Ireland — Burial Plac^ at Dovvnpatrick. CHAPTER IV. S hools Established by St. Patrick — The Great School at Bangor — The Schools and Colleges of the Present Day — Ancient Literature — The Book of Kells and the Book of Ar- magh — Celtic Crosses — Round Towers — Music — The Ori- gin of the Harp. CHAPTER V. The Ulster People of the Present Day — Religious Sects — The Old Dublin Parliaments — Benefits from the Union with Great Britain — Complaints Against the Government — Former Oppression of Irish Industries — The Land Question. CHAPTER \ I. U-lster Has Indicated the only Solution of the Irish Question — The Imperial City of Belfast — The Enterprise and Thrift of her Peo- ple — The Unionist's Attitude toward Mr. Gladstone. CHAPTER Vn. From Belfast to Bangor — Th« Irish Jaunting Car — Helen's Tower — The Eastern Coast — Across Country to Belleek and Ballyshannon — Our Ulster Friends — " Erin oh Erin." ILLUSTRATIONS. Map of Ireland, showin<< the Counties of Ulster ... Carrick-A-Rede Bridge ....... ^ Antrim Coast, near Larne ---..... 5 Garron Tower .----.... 8 Muckross Head — County Donegal - - . . _ 15 Farm Scene — County Tyrone ---... jg Carrickfergus Castle ..----..24 Downpatrick Cathedral — St. Patrick's Burial Place - - 2S Celtic Cross and Round Tower — Devenish Island - 33 High Street — Belfast -...-.. ^y Donegal I'lace, Belfast - - - - - - ^3 Alexandra Park — Belfast ------ .50 Portrait of Mr. Gladstone ---„.. 50 Jaunting Car ----------55 Helen's Tower -------.-* jy Salmon Leap — Ballyshannon ------ i^S MAP OF IRELAND. SHOWING THE COUNTIES OF ULSTER. THE PROVINCE OF ULSTER. INTRODUCTION. THE inflexible loyalty of Ulster to the Unionist cause during the prolonged struggle for so- called Irish Home Rule, is one of the striking features of English politics. There is no doubt that the determined opposition of the people of this province exerted a potent influence in the overthrow of the Liberal government at the last election, not so much by their threat of armed resistance to an Irish parliament as by the irresistible force of their con- servatism. America is so closely allied to Great Britain, both socially and commercially, that any great crisis in either country immediately disturbs the tranquility of the other in a marked degree, and for this reason the Irish question is one of especial interest to us. We are natural allies of any state which is struggling for freedom, and have been sympathizers with Ireland without a careful study, as it ap- pears to me, of the real bearing of the question upon international relations, or of the motives of those agitators who ha\c championed the scheme for a DubHn parhament. It has been my pri\'ilege, dur- ing several visits to Ireland, to become acquainted with the physical characters of Ulster, and to know her people, to observe their customs, habits and characteristics. The study of the development of this people of the north, from the ancient days of paganism through the \arious stages to their present commanding position, has been undertaken that we may more clearly appreciate the intensity of their opposition to " Home Rule," and the sources ol their influence upon the present and future destiny of the Irish nation. CHAPTER I. AREA — DIVISION INTO PROVINCES — THE ANTRIM COAST — RATHLIN ISLAND— THE RIVER LAGAN — LOUGH NEAGH AND ITS LEGENDS. THE Province of Ulster has a total area of 5,483,208 acres, 161,628 of which are covered t by the loughs, large rivers and tideways which diversify its surface. This area comprises about one- fourth of Ireland, and lies chiefly between the 54th and 55th parallels of latitude, and the 6th and 8th degrees of longitude. Its population is nearly 2,000,- 000, or over one-third of the entire population of the island. The division of Ireland into provinces dates back to the ancient days of the five sons of Dela, who were descendants of noted chiefs of that period. They divided it into five provinces: Ulster, Lein- ster, Connaught, and the two Munsters, one of the five sons assuming to rule over each province. The division of Ireland into counties is of Anglo- Norman and English origin, Sir John Parrott, about Anno Domini, 1584, dividing Ulster into seven coun- ties as follows : Armagh, Monaghan, Tyrone, Col- eraine (now County Derry), Donegal, Fermanagh and CARRICK-A-UEOE BRIDGE. 5 Cavan, the other two Ulster counties, Antrim and Down, having been previously constituted. Each of these northern counties of Ulster pos-. sesses a charming variety of coast, mountain and lake scenery, which renders the entire district one of the most beautiful in the British Kingdom. The mountains and rugged coast of County Donegal are the first to greet the eye of the tourist by the Glas- gow steamers from New York. Thence, after pass- ing Malin Head, the most northerly promontory of Ireland, we pass along the coast of County Antrim, from the Giant's Causeway to the famous islet of Carrick-a-Rede, with the flying rope bridge nearly a hundred feet above the sea, which connects it with the main land. ANTRIM COAST NEAR LARNE. The next notable point is the promontory of Fair Head, wliich rises five hundred feet above the sea, and bears upon its broad plateau, Dhu Lough, or the Black Lake, and Loch-na-Cranagh, in the centre of which reposes a small island, which tradition tells us was built by the Druids, and used by them for the celebration of their religious ceremonies. About five miles from the shore off Fair Head, is Rathliii Island, which is visible from every point along the Antrim coast. It is three by five miles in extent. The almost perpendicular cliffs of lime- stone, of which the island is composed, are visible at a great distance when the sky is clear, and when the mists, which often prevail in this latitude, rest upon the sea, it is completely hidden from view. The rapidity with which the island alternatel}' appears and fades from the sight of those on the shore, doubtless suggested the legend which the fol- lowing old Irish verses beautifully describe: To Rathlin's Isle I chanced to sail When summer breezes softly blew, And there I heard so sweet a tale, That oft I wished it could be true. They said, at eve, when rude winds sleep, And hushed is every turbid swell, A mermaid rises from the deep And sweetly tunes her magic shell. And while she plays, rick, dell ami cave In dying falls the sound retains, As if some choral spirits gave Their aid to swell her witching strains. Then summoned by that dulcet note. Uprising to th' admiring view, A fairy island seems to float, With tints of many a gorgeous hue. And glittering fanes, and lofty towers. All on this fairy isle are seen ; And waving trees, and shady bowers, With more than mortal verdure green. And as it moves, the western sky Glows with a thousand varying rays ; And the calm sea, tinged with each dye, Seems like a golden flood of blaze. They also saj' if earth or stone From verdant Erin's hallowed land, Were on this magic island thrown, Forever fixed it then would stand. But, when for this, some little boat In silence ventures from the shore, The mermaid sinks — hushed is tho note. The fairv isle is seen no more. A few miles beyond Fair Head is Garron Tower, the seat of the Marquis of Londonderry, standing upon an enormous mass of chalk and basaltic rock, with the mountain of Knockare, rising to a height of 1 1 70 feet, for a background. This castle, said to have been built in imitation of Windsor Castle, was constructed from the native rock, during the great famine in Ireland, for the purpose of furnishing employment to the suffering people. It is a struc- ture almost unrivaled for picturesque beauty of location, as it commands an unusual view of the sea, and the distant shores of Scotland are clearly visi- ble from its terraces. GARRON 'lOWER. From Garron Tower the shore is varied and beautiful until we reach Larne, a small seaport town at the mouth of Belfast Lough, at the head of which, 24 miles distant, is the city of Belfast. The trip along the coast road from the Causeway to Larne is very interesting. The highway was constructed by the government, and for the most part closely follows the sea line, now passing around the foot of a towering cliff, again by a tunnel through a rocky headland, or over picturesque glens and mountain streams by viaducts of solid masonry. The eastern, or County Down coast, is of the same general character as that of County Antrim, and the route from Newcastle south to Carlingford Lough, and Warrenpoint at its head, with the Mourne mountains closely guarding the shore throughout the entire distance, is one of unusual interest, rival- ing the famous scenery of Wales, or the Highlands of Scotland. By these Mourne mountains on the east, the Donegal range on the western shore, and the Tyrone mountains extending through the cen- tral portion of Ulster in a southerly direction from Londonderry, the province is divided into two great valleys, in which are to be found all the natural advantages, which the most fertile countries in any part of the world can supply, for a great and pros- perous population. In the eastern portion, the river Lagan rises among the glens at the base of the range, forming a small stream which is not naviga- lO ble, but with its course leading through the highly cultivated farm lands of County Down, has been compared to the upper Thames, whose beaut}' has been so often described in song and story. The Lagan empties into the head of Belfast Lough. The Upper Bann, another small stream from the same source wends its way in a more westerly course, and empties into Lough Neagh, the largest fresh water lake in Ireland, having an area of 153 square miles. As the Lough rests here in its great beauty, it is hard to realize the fact that the Danish vessels once in- vaded its waters through the Lower Bann, which connects the lake with the sea at Coleraine on the north coast. To-day }'ou may watch its rippling sur- face for hours without seeing a single token of the bustle and life of the great city of Belfast, which lies just on the other side of Cave Hill. To me the solitude of Lough Neagh is almost pathetic when we recall its ancient history, its legends of romance and v^alor, and view its ivy-covered ruins telling of thrift and luxury long since departed. The story is still repeated of a battle between Irish and Scotch giants, and how one of the Irish combatants seized here a handful of earth, and hurled it at his antag- onist on the Scottish shore. It fell short of the mark, and landing in the sea, formed what is now known as the Isle of Man, which they say is exactly the size and shape of Lough Neagh. A peasant woman broueht her bucket to a flowinfT well for II water, and leaving it tlicre overlong, it overflowed until the great excavation was filled with water, as it has remained until the present day. Another legend places a town in its silvery depths, which Thomas Moore has immortalized in his ode entitled, "LET ERIN REMEMBER THE DAYS OF OLD." " Let Erin remember the days of old, Ere her faithless sons betrayed her ; When Malachi wore the collar of gold, Which he won from her proud invader ; When her kings, with standard of green unfurled, Led the Red-Branch knights to danger ; Ere the emerald gem of the western world Was set in the crown of a stranger. On Lough Neagh's bank, as the fisherman strays, When the clear cold eve's declining. He sees the round towers of other days In the wave beneath him shining ; Thus shall memory often, in dreams sublime Catch a glimpse of the days that are over ; Then, sighing, look through the wave of time For the long-faded glories they cover." Another legend attributes its origin to a volcanic eruption where the Lough " broke forth," as the historian expressed it. This is said to have occurred 3,506 years before Christ. It is also said that Brisal O'Neill, king of Ulster in the year 161 of the Chris- tian era, was drowned in Lough Neagh, When the sad tidings were brought to his devoted wife Nora, she suddenly died of grief, and the tale of her faith- ful love has become a lasting consecration of the waters which are the grave of her royal husband. CHAPTER II. LOUGH ERNE — LEGEND OF THE LOUGH — COUNTY TYRONE— ARMAGH, THE GARDEN OF IRELAND— THE GEOLOGY OF ULSTER— GOLD— IRISH PEARLS — LEG- ENDARY HISTORY OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF ULSTER. LOUGH ERNE is another beautiful lake situated in County Fermanagh in the southwestern por- tion of Ulster. It is forty miles long and eight miles wide, and contains 3,700 acres. It is filled with islands, and what is known as Lower Lough Erne is in the midst of delightful scenery, which is often described as the Windermere of Ire- land. Here, as at Lough Neagh, legendar)' lore is richly interwoven with history of the efforts to subjugate the ancient race who peopled this district. It is said that where the Lough now lies, once stood a village, and near it was a well upon which a devout priest bestowed his benediction, and thus imparted healing properties to its waters. Vast numbers of people made pilgrimages thereto, and were cured. It was decreed by the priest, however, that if any one lifted the flat stone which covered 13 the well, so as to allow the light of day to shine into its depths, its blessed properties would be lost, and instead of being a spring of life and health, death would overwhelm those who came to seek its benefits. Poetic fancy has portrayed the legend in the following verses, giving the fate of one of the unfortunate pilgrims, and accounting also for the presence here of the Lough itself : " Where ripples now that silver lake, A busy hamlet once was seen ; Near yonder wild and tangled brake, The villajre spire adorned the green. When midnight's silence reigned around, And all was darksome, lone and drear, A hasty footstep press'd the ground. And to the holy well drew near, A fair, a young, and widow'd wife, The parent of a drooping boy. One draught she sought to save his life, She raised the stone with trembling joy ; When lo ! an infant's feeble cries The night wind wafted to her ear ; ' O holy saint, my Gilbert dies ' She shrieked in agonizing fear. H O fatal haste, remembrance late, Beneath, around, the waters gushed ; Vainly she strove to fly from fate, Destruction yawned where'er she rushed, And while in hopeless love she wept, While yet the unconscious infant smiled, A ruthless wave, which o'er them swept, Entombed the parent and the child. No longer now the waters gushed. You might have heard the softest breath, All was around so calm, so hushed, Hush'd in the stilliness of death. Where late so active man had been. Fate had decreed his toil should cease ; O'er hamlet, spire, and village green. Erne's limpid waters rolled in peace. The softest gale that murmurs by. The purest wave that ripples here. That zephyr wafts the mother's sigh. That wave contains the parent's tear. Her mournful vigil must she keep, Still at the midnight hour's return And still her fatal fondness, weep While flow thy crystal waves. Lough Erne. i6 From Lough Erne in the south, northward to Dcrry, and eastward to the western shore of Lougli Neagh, Hes the great agricultural county of Tyrone, which with its broad plateaus and valleys and num- erous rivers and streams and thickly shaded glens, is a district unsurpassed for delightful scenery as well as adaptability to all farming industries. The same is true of the country around the ancient cit}' of Armagh, which, from its high degree of culti\'a- tion, is often described as the garden of Ireland. In passing through these counties just before the harvest last summer, the great fields of ripening grain, the orchards and substantial abodes of the prosperous farmers, and the evidence of thrift and prosperity on every hand, reminded us of the rich valleys of the Genesee and the Mohawk in our own Empire State. The geological characters of Ulster, as well as the other provinces of Ireland, are varied and interest- ing. The great beds of shale at Bundoran on Done- gal Bay at the mouth of the ri\er Erne are filled with fossil remains, mostly zoophytes. From this sea-washed bed of shale, high and rugged cliffs of gneiss are projected, and interspersed here and there with mica, slate, and carboniferous limestone, which form the greater part of the coast from Donegal to Warrenpoint. On the plains are found great deposits of drift with peat moss and fresh water marl, and anthracite 17 coal is found in some portions, althout^h perhaps not in sufficient quantities for mining, but it is believed that the deposits of soft coal are enormous. Most of the coal used in Ireland is still brought from the Eng- lish mines, but the peat which is so generally dis- tributed is still commonly used for fuel in the rural districts. I was surprised to learn that it is not a cheap fuel, a good quality costing the consumer from 4 to 8 shillings ($i to $2) per cart load, de- livered at the farm house. This peat only lacks the force of great rock pressure to render it coal instead of the quickly consumed and smoke evolving combustible which it is. Gold has been found in County Antrim, and some other portions of Ulster, but not as yet in pajnng quantities. At Omagh in Tyrone numbers of men thronged the station plat- form with collections of native pearls, which seemed to be of a fair quality. Iron ore is also found in Tyrone, and with all the other mineral wealth of Ireland, it seems incredible that capital has so long neglected the development of these industries, es- pecially coal and iron, which would be such an incalculable addition to the wealth and prosperity of the people. With the opening up of the coal beds, which are known to be extensive, the develop- ment of all the other mining industries would flour- ish. The shipping of coal for fuel from England to Belfast with Lough Neagh almost washing the Tyrone coal beds, seems as reprehensible as the proverbial 19 carrying of coals to Newcastle, or shipping wheat from Chicago to Minneapolis. If British capital con- tinues to neglect the rich mineral deposits of Ulster, it will be surprising if Yankee enterprise and capital do not some day improve the opportunity. With all the charming variety of lake, river and woodland we have described, the north of Ireland naturally attracted many adventurers from con- tinental countries. The legendary history of the early ages, narrate that a band of African pirates called Formorians, landed upon Tory Island, there built a castle from whence invasions were made against the Parthalonians, who came from Greece A. M. 2,520, and took up their abode on the little island of Inish-Samer in the river Erne near Bally- shannon. The descendants of this colony after 300 years, were nearly all destroyed by a plague, and were succeeded A. M. 2,850 by the Nemedians who made war upon the pirates of the north, destroyed the castle upon Tory Island, but unmindful of the rising tide, the remnant of their army was over- whelmed in the sea. The next colonization was by the Firbolgs, A. M. 3,266, who also came from Greece, and then were followed A. M. 3,303 by the Dedannans, also Greeks, and noted for their skill in magic. They burned their ships as soon as they had landed, enshrouded themselves in a magic mist, and thus unobserved, finally met, and after a four days' battle, wrested Ireland from the Firbolgs, and 20 became the masters of the island. These Dedan- nans in subsequent ages were deified and became fairies, whom the ancient Irish worshipped. The Milesians succeeded them A. M. 3,500 after a prolonged sojourn in various countries, having, it is said, been in Egypt when Pharaoh's hosts were drowned in the Red Sea. They finally sailed from Spain to Ire- land in thirty ships. These were at first commanded by eight brothers, all of whom, with the exception of Eber-Finn and Eremon, perished before the long pilgrimage was finished, in a furious tempest raised by the magicians or Dedannans, whom they defeated in battle, however, and a nephew of the brothers, Eber by name, was given Ulster as his portion of the realm. From this time onward there was, ac- cording to tradition, constant warfare between Eber, king of Ulster, and the chiefs of the other provinces, until all the Pagan Kings of Ireland either fell in battle, or at the hands of the assassin. Nearl}- three hundred years before the Christian Era, Macha then king of Ulster, built a ro)'al palace near Armagh, which for six centuries continued to be the residence of the Ulster kings, and to-day its ruins, which tiic storms of fifteen centuries have not altogether swept away, are still pointed out to the traveler. CHAPTER III. THE SIEGE OF DERRY— THE BATTLE OF ENNISKILLEN— CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE — ST. PATRICK'S BIRTH- PLACE—EARLY EDUCATION— HIS MISSION TO IRE- LAND—BURIAL PLACE AT DOWNPATRICK. ALTPIOUGH the histcny of these Ulster peo- ple, and of all Ireland, is one of absorbinf^ in- terest, and renders the entire island a most fascinating study for the antiquarian, it is rather to the events which more directly bear upon modern Ulster that we invite attention. The established principle of social evolution that the stronger race, tribe, or clan, will finally gain .supremacy, has been demon- strated in the history of Ulster down to the present day. No benighted people have ever suffered as con- tinuous and fierce assaults from invaders as the in- habitants of Ireland, from the time of the first land- ing of the Danes, A. D. 795, through the bloody period of the Anglo-Norman invasion, and all the dreary years of alternating hope and despair down to the time of Henry VIII., who was the first Eng- lish monarch to assume the title of King of Ireland. It is a noted fact that the fiercest battles were those for religious supremacy, and some of these were so important in their influence upon the char- acter and fortunes of modern Ulster as to demand special mention, notably the seige of Derry and the battle of Enniskilleii. The siege of Londonderry was commenced April iSth, 1689. The city had been in the hands of the Protestants from the time of Cromwell (1649). It was built upon the west shore of Lough Foyle, and strongly fortified, which ren- dered its subjugation difficult. The task of its cap- ture was intrusted to Lieutenant-General Richard Hamilton by Tirconnell, who was then Lord Lieuten- ant of L'eland, and as such, desirous of securing the country to James II., who was a Roman Catholic. The governor of Derr}-, at the commencement of the siege, was Colonel Lund\-, who wished to surrender to Hamilton, but the gates were closed by the peo- ple themselves, and so great was the unpopularity of the governor, that he at last stealthily escaped o\-er the wall at night, and from that moment the zealous inhabitants took charge of the defence. Their most efficient leader was the Re\'. Cieorge Walker, a Protestant clerg}'man, who so inspired the people to resistance that throughout the entire siege of 105 days, in the midst of daily fighting, resultirig in great loss of life — with supplies so nearly exhausted that horses, dogs, grease and garbage of every description were the only articles of food obtainable, no thought of surrender seems to have been entertainetl by this sturdy hero of the church. E\en the women often stood upon the ramparts handing ammunition to the citizen soldiers, and hurhig all sorts of missiles down upon the heads of the besiegers. Finally, when their supply of ammunition had been exhausted, this hungry, ragged and yet devoted band of defenders of their faith still refused to open the gates, and would have perished had not relief come from Major-General Kirke, who, with a fleet of thirty ships, had remained in the lough below for forty-six days trying to summon up sufficient courage to attempt their rescue. It is worthy of special mention that Kirke has in a measure escaped the obloquy which his course merited. But history has rendered the fame of Rev. George Walker immortal. Upon the walls of Derry, which are still preserved, near the very spot where the anxious lookouts watched and waited, praying for Kirke to move in their behalf, a grateful people has erected an enduring column to commemorate the heroism of Walker, and there it will remain as long as the love of freedom of religious worship, and rever- ence for the principles of justice and humanity shall continue to characterize the loyal people of Ulster. On the same day that Derry won its victory, the garrison at Enniskillcn in County Fermanagh, which had been equally determined in its resistance to the soldiers of King James, although fortunately not compelled to endure the terrible experiences of their fellow Christians in the north, marched grandly forth to meet an approaching army, engaged it in battL^ =4 at Newtown Butler, and routed tlie enemy, thus completely restoring Ulster to William Prince of Orange, who became King of England when James II. abandoned the throne and fled to F" ranee. Another point worthy of mention is Carrickfergus Castle on the northern shore of Belfast Loueh. CAKI