Famous Irish Americans
29-Oct-06
Gen./US Presidents: Grant was of Irish ancestry. As were Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, Jackson, Polk, Buchanan, Arthur, McKinley, Wilson, Nixon (and several others).
Daniel Boone: Also known as Daniel Boone Reed, who is connected to the webmistress' family tree (The Reeds). Along with the likes of McGrady, Harland, and McBride, who started Kentucky settlement
Davy Crockett: Fought under Andrew Jackson (also of Irish descent), served in Congress and died when the Alamo fell in Texas.
Henry Ford: Son of an Irish immigrant who married during the American Civil War. Started the Ford Motor Company and the rest is history
Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Cochrane): First made America conscious of the woman reporter by making a trip around the world in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes. This created a great international stir in 1889
Irish Born Maureen O'Hara. Remembered for her role in the original production of the film "The Parent Trap" (a definite fav of mine), co-staring with Brian Keith (who may or may not be Irish but I thought I'd throw that in). Her credits are too numerous to mention in this tiny little spot. Maureen has dual citizenship in both the United States and Ireland. She became an American citizen in 1946.
Don't forget Judy Garland was Irish American - her maternal Grandmother was Eva Fitzpatrick. The Irish American St Patrick's Day anthem "Its A Great Day for the Irish" was written especially for her and was one of her biggest hits. She appeared in concert in Dublin to 50,000 in 1951 and drew the largest crowds second only to John F Kennedy's trip to Galway.
And let us not forget: Mia Farrow, Margaret O'Brien, Grace Kelley, John McCormack, Mickey Rourke, Barry Fitzgerald, Art Carney, Tyrone Power, Carroll O'Connor, Errol Flynn, Audie Murphy (Red Badge of Courage and the most decorated man in WWII), James Cagney, Shirley Maclaine, Jackie Gleason, Mary Tyler Moore, Warren Beatty, Angelica Huston, The Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Thomas Mitchell, Anthony Quinn, Jack Lemmon, Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, George Kennedy, Robert Redford and Walter Brennan.
All of Irish Decent
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The Coffin Ships
29-Oct-06
A starving Irish citizen who had 3.5 English pounds could buy passage to USA or Canada in the steerage of a sailing vessel. The voyage was of unpredictable duration, but ten weeks was not uncommon. It was impossible to stand to one's full height in steerage. A stall, six feet by six feet, was home to four adults for the entire voyage. This space contained two tiers of berths, and provided storage for clothing, possessions, and personal supplies of food and water. Privacy was non existent. When storms battered the ship, the emigrants were kept, in fact locked, below decks for days at a time, rolling about and buffeted by their luggage. Their space on deck on the good days was even more crowded than their space below.
The shippers had to provide a nominal (false measures reduced the amount) pound of meal, often mouldy, for each adult, lesser amounts for children. Two days a week biscuits were substituted for the meal. A problem with the meal was that it required cooking, cooking was done only on deck and was often impossible, grill space was severely limited and required water which was supplied at the rate of one nominal (three quarts) gallon per adult per day for drinking, washing, and cooking. Those who brought salt fish for the voyage, could not use it because there was insufficient water to wash the salt from it and to satisfy thirst.
If the ship carried British mail, these minimal food allowances could be further reduced.
An old joke comes to mind: Our hard tack was infested, our ship's biscuits were buggy; we had to choose the lesser of two weevils.
There were two toilets for the 350 steerage passengers. These were jerry rigged at the bow of the ship, placed so that they drained into the sea. In bad weather they were unreachable, in lesser storms the occupant would be drenched, and often these fixtures were destroyed by storms. The passenger who owned a chamber pot was fortunate.
I am being very careful in what I say next. Slave ships were carrying their cargo to America at the same time. Their occupants was horribly mistreated en route, and their lot did not improve when they reached shore. Slavery is cruel and indefensible. The point I want to make is that it was important to the slave trader that his cargo be delivered alive; there was no such burden on the master of the coffin ship. And again I say slavery is cruel and indefensible.
One ship had a good record. Its passengers survived; not one was lost in its many voyages. A replica of it has been built in County Kerry, Ireland. It will sail for America in April, 2000 to visit coastal and Great Lakes cities as part of the 150th anniversary of the starvation years of 1845-1850.
In 1999 the Irish and US postal services issued stamps, identical in art work, commemorating the coffin ships: A most commendable thought ruined by the painting, a romantic and adventurous view of the exterior of a ship, the horrors hidden within.
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Results of Fire and Famine: Census Records in Ireland 1813-1911
29-Oct-06
The so-called population controversy sparked much-heated debate in the British Isles during the latter half of the eighteenth century. Was the population rising or falling? Could the nation feed itself? As the century drew to a close, the discussion was intensified by poor harvests, unusual storms, and the appearance in 1798 of An Essay on the Principle of Population by the Reverend Thomas Malthus.
Poor harvests came and went in Britain during the late 1700s1 and across the Irish Sea it was no different. Several seasons of crop failure and famine in Ireland, notably in 1728, 1739-40, and 17562 resulted in a new look at the population. Malthus caught the attention of the public and authority figures in analyzing whether the supply of food could keep pace with the ever-increasing population. To some, his essay translated into the simplistic issue of whether or not poor relief was in the best interest of the nation.3 The growing concerns over food supply and bad harvests were enough to overcome any opposition to a national census.
The First Irish Census
While Britain's first enumeration was in 1801 and conducted every ten years thereafter, the first Irish census wasn't until 1813. Ireland then followed suit, with a census every ten years. Unfortunately, the Irish census return for 1813 is regarded as both careless and incomplete4—six counties and two towns were never even enumerated.
The blame was placed on the shortcomings of the process of data collection, but others believe it may have been caused by the lack of cooperation among the grand juries who were assigned responsibility, or by the inadequacies of the chosen enumerators. Certainly, the officials who organized the census return in 1821 knew what the problem was—there were no overseers of the poor in Ireland, and only a few parish schoolmasters were available to help with the enumeration. Historically, parish overseers in England and Wales, and schoolmasters in Scotland, gathered the early returns. Officials concluded that it was impossible in 1813 to find enumerators of reasonable intelligence and sufficient local knowledge, including familiarity with the many small administrative divisions known as townlands, to carry out a thorough enumeration. 5
When the second enumeration was carried out in May and June of 1821, officials were confident, perhaps even smug, of the thoroughness of their efforts (as implied by their disparaging remarks about the enumerators of the first census). The enumerators were to be vested by the Bench of Magistrates with preference to those who collected local taxes—it was believed that these individuals knew their communities. Enumerators were instructed to proceed from house to house, day by day, until they had gathered the required information. Today, assessment of the 1821 census varies. It has been described as both "flawed"6 and "perhaps the single most disastrous loss in the 1922 burning of the Four Courts." 7
Fire in the Four Courts
The Four Courts building in Dublin housed the public records of Ireland. But in June of 1922 it was the scene of a battle between Free State forces and Republican Irregulars who had made the Four Courts their headquarters. The Free State bombardment set the building on fire midday on 30 June, and shortly thereafter a land mine exploded, fire spread, and the conflagration destroyed the building. Documents were found in the River Liffey, three miles away.8
The flames consumed the original returns of the 1831 census. Records that can now be consulted come from the retrospectively amended records (1834) which incorporate a column for religious affiliation. One way or another, a number of early census records have survived. Best represented among the fragments are the counties of Cavan (1821), Galway (1821), Offaly/King's (1821), Londonderry (1831), and Meath (1821). Details appear in a variety of publications. 9
These returns have been microfilmed and are in the collections of the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. For anyone interested in the descriptions written by the officials of the Public Record Office, refer to Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research (Falley, 1962) which quotes liberally from the Deputy Keepers reports, primarily the 55th, 57th, and 58th, that were published after the 1922 fire.
In 1841, following the pattern of the rest of the United Kingdom, Irish returns were left with each household to be completed on June 6th; distribution and collection was overseen by the Irish Constabulary. 10 But there were differences among national censuses. Irish returns required much more information than the form used in England, Scotland, and Wales. The census asked for name, age, occupation, marital status and year of marriage, county of origin, and relationship to the head of the household. In addition, the form recorded whether individuals could read or write, details of those absent, and details of those deceased since 1831 including relationship, occupation, and year of death and cause.
As with the early returns, a limited number of 1841 through 1891 records have avoided destruction. The 1841 and 1851 returns were lost in the 1922 fire, and the 1861 through 1891 returns were destroyed by government order. From the 1841 census, only the returns for Killeshandra in County Cavan, part of Currin in County Fermanagh, and some fragments from Waterford have survived. Few records remain from the 1851 enumeration—only twenty-eight volumes from thirteen parishes in County Antrim, returns for one townland in Fermanagh, and a few extracts from parishes in Kilkenny and northeast Cork. For the other census years, a handful of stray copies survive in volumes of parish registers.
Modern Census Records Compensate
Two twentieth-century census returns are available for research and, in some measure, make up for the loss of the earlier records. In 1901 the following details were gathered: name, age, religion, occupation, literacy, marital status, relationship to head of household, county of birth, and knowledge of English or Gaelic. Several additional details were added in the 1911 census; married women were asked to report how long they had been married, number of children born, and those children still living. Data was arranged by county, district electoral division, and townland, and absentees were not recorded. Most source guides caution genealogists against accepting recorded ages in the 1901 census because there is evidence from comparisons with the 1911 enumeration that many responses were too low. 11
Under ideal circumstances any search in these twentieth century returns can be made knowing the street or townland of the ancestor's residence. Even when there is no alternative to a search through one or more films, the job will be easier if the district electoral divisions and townlands have been identified.
Several aids make it easier to locate the appropriate divisions. The first are the townland indexes. The indexes for 1901 are contemporary, but the ones for 1841, 1851, and 1871 are also helpful. District electoral divisions appear in the 1871 and 1901 listings but not in 1851. The 1841 index (not in the Family History Library) is organized by county and barony, and Townlands and Poor Law Unions (Handran, 1997) includes parishes, electoral divisions and townlands. There is no townland index for 1911 but differences from the 1901 census are minor. Nominal indexes exist for the 1901 census of Longford, Fermanagh, and Tyrone, with Donegal to follow soon. 12 (The latter three are on microfiche.)
The Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) conveniently lists appropriate film numbers under each parish for the 1901 census. For many names, genealogists have extracted all the entries and generally arranged the lists by county. Any of these name lists held by the Family History Library can be found entered in the FHLC under the appropriate county and, for surveys through many counties, in the national census listings. A small portion of the 1911 census is now available at the FHL, but the majority of it must still be researched in Ireland.
Other twentieth century resources include the Old Age Pension applications. Ireland introduced an old age pension in 1908 but because few people had proof of their age, evidence was sought in nineteenth century census records. The abstracts of information include the name of the pensioner, his or her parents, and occasionally other members of the family. Townland, parish, barony and county, age at time of application, and age at time of census are also included. These records have not been indexed. Northern Ireland's applications have been filmed and can be accessed through family history centers. Pension applications for Ireland are located in the National Archives in Dublin.
Research Suggestions
There are three steps to assure that you have identified and located all of the relevant information on government census returns.
1. Use maps, gazetteers, and townland indexes so that all of the civil and ecclesiastical divisions are known.
2. Refer to the books noted in this article for listings of surviving census fragments.
3. Check the Family History Library Catalog under the following headings for information about LDS holdings.
IRELAND-CENSUS
IRELAND-CENSUS-INDEXES
IRELAND, COUNTY NAME- CENSUS
IRELAND, COUNTY NAME- CENSUS INDEXES
IRELAND, COUNTY NAME, PARISH NAME-CENSUS
IRELAND-PENSIONS
Other important resources are records of civil registration, Griffith's Primary Valuation, and modern probate calendars. All of these are in the Family History Library. Civil registration began for all events in all counties in 1864, and for all non-Catholic marriages in 1845. Griffith's Valuation, a property survey showing both occupiers and landlords between 1848 and 1864, has been filmed and indexed. A version of the index is on CD-ROM and another is incorporated into the Householders Index (available in family history centers).
Probate became the business of the secular court system in 1858. Although the wills were lost in the 1922 fire, the calendars of wills and letters of administration are available for study. These sources provide name, place, and date information. Relationships appear in birth and marriage records and sometimes in probate calendars.
Census Data Provides More Than Names
A census enumeration gathers data for statistical analysis. The reports generated from the data in the censuses of Ireland were subsequently published, and are available for study. The questions asked were included for a reason, and the resulting numbers influenced the government officials of the day, and the social and economic historians of more recent times. Genealogists also have something to learn from the statistics-details that enhance and encourage understanding.
Historians have looked at the census statistics and used them to support various theories about the population of Ireland, when it peaked, and the impact of the potato famine. Genealogists will also find it worthwhile to examine the numbers for the appropriate county, barony, or electoral division of their ancestors. The report comparing 1813 and 1821 for County Limerick show that the number of houses in that county rose from 17,897 in 1813 to 36,089 in 1821. The population grew during the same period from 103,865 to 214,286. 13 In a later report, within the tables of figures for the Poor Law Unions, is the entry for Youghal in County Cork. 14 The population of the town of Youghal hardly changed between 1841 and 1851, but it was the scene of one of the food riots in 1846. 15 The enumerated population dropped dramatically in rural areas in the same union, such as at Kilmacdonagh electoral division from 3,457 to 2,008. 16
The numbers raise new questions. What was considered to qualify as a house? How do the numbers for Limerick compare to other counties? During the 1840s did people move into town when in dire need? Were some individuals missed by the enumerators? Whether or not such issues are investigated, a quantitative sketch emerges at a local level relating to people, their health, home, land, and schools. This information is easier to grasp than numbers for the entire country, and it can be related to eye-witness accounts, local histories, weather, and topography.
To access these reports consult British Parliamentary Papers indexes available in reference or university libraries. 17 Directories, topographical dictionaries, diaries, and local histories will round out the picture and occasionally quote census figures. Besides providing additional, interesting information for a family history, this sort of analysis often initiates questions or theories that direct further research.
The first Irish censuses were carried out as a response to controversy and, to some extent, fear of the ability of food production to keep pace with population growth. But genealogical researchers two hundred years after Malthus continue to benefit from the recording and analysis of the population. And, despite the devastation of the explosion and fire at the Four Courts in 1922, researchers can still find material of interest and importance. For the lucky ones, there are surviving fragments; however, everyone can search recent returns and pension records for collaterals, and gain useful insight from the official statistical summaries.
Endnotes
1. Nissel, Muriel. People Count. (1987), 51.
2. Foster, R. F. Modern Ireland 1600-1972, (London: Penguin, 1989), 199.
3. Nissel, Muriel. op. cit.
4. Connell, K.H. The Population of Ireland 1750-1845. Westport CT: Greenwood P, 1975: 20.
5. Abstract of Answers and Returns Pursuant to Act for Taking Account of the Population of Ireland, 1824: viii.
6. Connelly, S.J. The Oxford Companion to Irish History. (Oxford UP, 1998), 81.
7. Nolan, William. Tracing the Past. (Dublin: Geographical Publications, 1982), 58.
8. Illustrated London News, July 8, 1922, pp. 43-53.
9. Falley, Margaret. Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research. 2 Vol. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1962 (rep. 1988); Nolan, Tracing the Past.; Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors. (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1992).
10. Connolly, S.J. The Oxford Companion to Irish History. (Oxford UP, 1998), 81.
11. Grenham, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors. 14; and Nolan, Tracing the Past, 61.
12. Index to the 1901 Census, Vol. 1 County Fermanagh, 1995.
13. Abstract of the Population of Ireland According to the Late Census. Vol. XIV, page 737.
14. A Comparative View of the Census of Ireland in 1841-1851. Vol. XLVI, p. 357.
15. Illustrated London News. November 7, 1846, p. 293.
16. A Comparative View of the Census of Ireland in 1841-1851. Vol. XLVI, p. 357.
17. Ford, P. and G. Ford. A Guide to Parliamentary Papers: What they are, How to find them, How to use them. (Shannon: Irish UP, 1972).
Sherry Irvine, author of Your Scottish Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans, is a faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University and is a conference lecturer.
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A Guide to Researching Irish Ancestry
29-Oct-06
Irish genealogical research has long been plagued by myths and stereotypes: the records were all burned, my ancestors dropped the 'O' on the boat, it's almost impossible to trace immigrant ancestors back to Ireland... Many would-be genealogists assume before they even start that they have no chance of finding their Irish ancestors. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. While Irish genealogy does have a few challenges, a recent explosion of interest in Irish genealogy has led to dozens of how-to guides published in print and on the Internet, improved access to records and a plethora of researchers willing to help each other in the quest for knowledge. It is now easier than ever to learn about your Irish roots.
Where Do I Start?
Just like with any family history project, begin with yourself. Make sure that you know everything you can find out from family members. Look at home sources for clues in certificates, family Bibles, obituary notices, diaries and similar sources. Tombstones are another good place to start for names, dates and places. Organize the information you find and record it on Family Group Sheets or with a genealogy software program.
Important Questions to Ask About Your Irish Ancestors
- Which parish or townland did they come from?
- Approximately when did they live there?
- What religion were my Irish ancestors? If Protestant, then what denomination?
- If my ancestors emigrated from Ireland, when did they do so?
- Were there any family members who remained behind in Ireland?
- What was my family's social status in Ireland?
As you ask these questions of family members, friends and relatives, please keep in mind that family stories and traditions may not always be correct. It is fairly common, for example, for a tombstone or family record to confuse the port of departure with the place of origin. Don't let that keep you from writing down everything you are told as clues - just remember that clues are all they are until they can be verified through other sources.
Tracing Irish Immigrants Back to Ireland
If your ancestor's specific place of origin in Ireland is unknown, then it is usually best to begin your search in the country where the Irish immigrant family settled. Just knowing that your ancestors came from Ireland is not enough - you must determine the specific parish or townland from which they came.This is primarily due to the destruction of the Record Tower in Dublin Castle in the early 18th century and the disastrous 1922 fire in the Ireland Public Record Office, which nearly obliterated civil records. Successful research for Irish ancestors, therefore, depends in large part on access to parish and townland records.
If yourIrish ancestors have lived in those countries with large Irish communities, namely the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand,the following sources may contain this information:
It is important to keep in mind that the chance thatany of theserecords willpinpointyour ancestor'sspecific townland in Ireland will differbased on location (state, country, etc.)and time period.
I've Checked These Records and Still Can't Find Anything
If you can't find any mention of a hometown for your immediate ancestor, thencast a wider net and look for siblings, cousins, friends, and neighbors. The Irish tended to immigrate in groups and cluster by village in the country of immigration.
What if I Can Only Find the County?
For the sake of genealogical research, the goal is to get down to the specifictownland in Ireland, but there are many useful levels of organization above that one including parishes, baronies, poor law unions, dioceses, probate districts, and counties. These subdivisions were all used at some point in Ireland's history and there are specific records that were compiled by each geographical division. If you find a listing for your ancestorwhich mentionsone of these specific administrative divisions, then you can either try searching the records specific to that division for your ancestor (this is really only practical when the name is an unusual one), or begin working with surname distribution studies to narrow down the field of research.
While many people assume that all Irish records have been lost or destroyed, that is just not the case. From the point of view of genealogy, the most significant lossesfrom the 1922Ireland Public Record Office firewere the 19th-century census returns, the Church of Ireland parish registers, and the testamentary collections.Other records not maintained in the PROhave survived, however,including civil records of births, marriages, and deaths, non Church of Ireland parish records,property records, and later censuses.Even formuch of the material that was lost, there are abstracts, transcripts, and fragments of the originals.
The four main categories of Irish records that are relevant to almost everyone doing research on Irish ancestors include:
Civil Records
State registration of non-Catholic marriages began in Ireland in 1845. All births, deaths and marriages have been registered in Ireland since 1864. The main points of research access are:
- The General Register Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast
- The General Register Office in Dublin
Research in the Belfast Office is limited by space constraints, and pre-booking up to two weeks in advance may be necessary. Research in the Dublin Office is allowed on the indexes only, with the purchase of a photocopy necessary to obtain further information.
Census Records
Government censuseswere conductedfor all of Irelandonce each decade from 1821 - 1911. The census records for 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851 were largely destroyed in the 1922 fire at the Public Record Office, Dublin,although some surviving fragments exist. The Irish census recordsfor 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 were completely destroyed prior to 1922, by order of the government. Therefore, theearliest surviving comprehensive census returns are for 1901 and 1911.
Because of this, the normal rule that census returns should not be available to the public for 100 years has been suspended in the Republic of Ireland. The returns for both 1901 and 1911 can be consulted on microfilm in the National Archives of Ireland. A full microfilm copy of the 1901 census is also available at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through local Mormon Family History Centers. Indexes, in published or database form, are available for the 1901 returns of some counties. Copies of the 1901 returns for the six counties now in Northern Ireland are available at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. In addition, some of the local heritage centers have computerised transcripts of the 1901 census returns for their areas.
Church Records
Through the 19th century about 85% of the population of Ireland were Roman Catholic, 5% were members of the Church of Ireland, and the remaining 10%consisted primarily of Presbyterians.Prior to the onset ofcivil registration in Ireland in1864, the records of these churches are virtually the only sources for family information.
Property Records
Because of the destruction of 19th-century census returns, surviving land and property records from the period have become significant for genealogical research. Two surveys,each coveringthe entire country of Ireland, are a rich source for genealogists:
- Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1838
- Griffith's Primary Valuation, 1848-1864
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Some Irish History
28-Oct-06
EVICTION SCENE.-The accompanying sketch shows the landlord's emergency men, who have been using battering rams against the barricaded door of an Irish peasant's cabin, in full possession of the place, aided and abetted by the, in Ireland at least, omnipresent Royal Irish Constabulary, and a body of English hussars. Were it not for these potent auxiliaries, oppressive landowners in Ireland would find it impossible to collect their exorbitant rents from the unfortunate people. The English government in Ireland, especially under Tory rule, is a landlords' government. Even the English Liberals, unless under pressure from able Irish leaders, like the late Mr. Parnell, are not friendly to the Irish tenants. In looking at the ransacked cabin, depicted above, the average American citizen will be tempted to think that people ought to demand compensation for being compelled to "live" in such a "shack" rather than pay rent for it. It is, indeed, a miserable hovel, from the American, or any other standpoint. But the greedy Irish landlord, whose forefathers obtained the soil by brute force, most probably, from the ancestors of the evicted tenant, is determined to have his money, no matter at what cost of human misery. Fat cattle, in his estimation, are preferable to human beings. .
THE POTATO MARKET, DROGHEDA, -The foregoing characteristic sketch gives a faithful idea of the Potato Market at Drogheda, where the country people and town dealers meet to buy and sell the omnipresent "spuds" of Ireland. Some patriots claim that the Irish have had no luck since Sir Walter Raleigh, in the reign of Elizabeth, introduced the potato from the Colony of Virginia into Ireland. It has become so far naturalized in the Green Isle that Americans call the esculent "the Irish potato," so as to distinguish it from the sweet bulb so common in this country. If the "pratie" were a reliable vegtable it would be much more popular in Ireland than it is at present. But it has "gone back on" the Irish rural population several times-notably in "the Black '47" of fifty years since, when, "aided" by the neglect of the British government a million and a half of them died, because of the universal potato rot. This reads "awfully" but it is strictly true. Does Ireland raise nothing but potatoes? Yes, the finest beef, mutton, pork and poultry in Christendom, but the landlords, supported by the English government, take almost all worth eating and sell it beyond the seas for their "rent." Hence the people either starve or go on short rations. Observe in the picture, the potatoes heaped on the ground, the bags half open, for convenience sake, the rude scales, and the animated groups making their bargains. In Ireland, the "new potatoes" come in season on "Garlic Sunday," the last Sunday in July.
A STREET IN QUEENSTOWN, CO. CORK.-When the flunkey corporation of the Cove of Cork changed the ancient designation of that picturesque place to Queenstown, in 1849, merely became the female ruler of England paid it a passing visit, the deposed officers proved the truth of the Prisoner of Chillon's statement: "My very chains and I grew friends; to such a long communion tends." Queen Victoria carried nothing of value into the picturesque Cove but took away its good name, which did not enrich her, but made the despoiled town poor indeed. It was many years before Ireland got accustomed to the new-fangled title of her favorite seaport. The town is situated on the south side of Great Island, in the magnificent harbor, and, owing to the character of the high ground, is built, amphitheatrical fashion, in tiers of streets, which gives it an odd and interesting appearance, from certain points of view. The sketch shows one of the chief thoroughfares fronting on the harbor. Queenstown is fourteen miles from the City of Cork, and is an admiral's station for a British squadron. During the Napoleonic wars, thousands of troops embarked from the historic "Cove" for "the Peninsula" and Belgium. The climate is very mild and equable, and this makes Queenstown a paradise for invalids. Most of the great American ocean liners stop at this port, which is the most prosperous in Ireland, except, perhaps, Belfast. Many fine buildings adorn the town, and the new Catholic Cathedral is generally conceded to be the "finest of them all."
"LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM," IN PHOENIX PARK. -In looking at the foregoing sketch, one might easily imagine himself in one of the pleasure grounds of the beautiful City of Mexico. Here we have rocks and tropical vegetation in abundance. The Yucca-a plant common in Aztec land-seems to grow generously in the genial shade of the Irish forest trees. The young man seated on the picturesque pile of rocks in the middle foreground, seems to be of poetical temperanment, and sits in an attitude suggestive of the composition of "a ballad made to his mistress' eyebrow." It is evidently his first passion, and first passions, when their victims are absent from the objects that create them, demand romantic solitude. Where can the lover more naturally indulge this harmless propensity than in exquisite Phoenix Park, which might well be dedicated to Cupid himself? New hope may bloom, and days may come As love's young dream! Of milder, calmer beam- Oh, there's nothing half so sweet in life But there's nothing half so sweet in life As love's young dream!
"FAIR DAY," NEW ROSS, CO. WEXFORD.- The grandfathers of the sturdy country people shown in the sketch, attending to the onerous duties imposed on seller and buyer on "Fair Day" in nearly all Irish towns of any importance, made a very different use of horned cattle in the streets of New Ross a hundred years ago. It is stated by some historians of the great rebellion that the insurgents drove before them, at the points of their pikes, a herd of bullocks (steers) and, thereby, threw into confusion the English artillery that defended Three Bullet Gate. By this stratagem, borrowed from the tactics of the Romans and Carthaginians, who, however, used elephants to break the ranks of their enemies, the so-called "rebels" captured the cannon and turned them against the British troops, whom they very nearly succeeded in destroying. The story of how the Wexfordmen won and finally lost the battle is told in another sketch. "Fair Day" attracts to town the farmers, great and small, of the surrounding country. In general their men drive in the cattle that are to be exposed for sale the preceding night, so that they may be well rested before the Fair begins. Toward evening, when the work of the day is done with, "droughty neighbors" adjourn to the adjacent taverns and have a social bowl together. The people of Wexford are noted for their steadiness and their conduct is always orderly.
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