Alexander Corkey

“ Miss Edith delighted us with several Irish songs. She sang Moore’s touching melody: “The Last Rose of Summer,” with genuine pathos. Afterwards she began on American songs, and when she had sung several, I remarked that she sang like an American.
She turned around on her piano stool and replied: “I have always admired America. Sometimes I tell my father that I believe that I was meant for an American woman.”
“Cross the ocean, Miss O’Neill,” said Mike quickly, “and a thousand Americans will swear that you were meant for an American man.” ”

“ As we flew over the city we were surprised to see how new-looking it was in appearance, as it is one of Ireland’s oldest towns. I learned later that the old town had been destroyed some two hundred years ago, and that Omagh of today is comparatively modern. It is a neat and prosperous city, with streets, some of them very steep, running in every direction. A beautiful Cathedral adorns the hillside, and an old barracks, now used as a police station, is an imposing structure. ”

“ Mike made a superb landing at Drogheda. We alit beside a two-storied house on the edge of town, creating a sensation. Some children, near the door, saw us swooping down, and ran, screaming into the house. Just as we were landing a woman ran out and as she saw the aeroplane alight, she uttered a shriek, as though she had seen a ghost.
Presently a man came running, and we introduced [95] ourselves. Leaving the aeroplane with him and the gathering crowd, we went to a hotel. ”

“ As these landlords do not live in Ireland and have little interest in Irish people the Government is now seeking remedial legislation which will compel the landlord to sell his estate. Absentee landlordism has been Ireland’s historic curse for centuries. ”

“ As we winged our way above the railroad ties we rested after the excitement of Killarney. We were now in the heart of Kerry. This part of Ireland is not as prosperous as some other parts. The land is hilly and rocky. Fences are generally made of stone. The little cottages are also built of stone, thatched with straw. We could see the stack of peats beside them to be used as fuel, and the little potato patch which furnished food. Blue smoke was beginning to curl in the air from some of these cabins, telling us that rural Ireland was awakening for another day of life, such as it is. ”

“ O’Neill told me there were three reforms going on in Ireland in which he had hearty sympathy. These are the improvement of Irish agriculture, the revival of the [106] Gaelic tongue, and the suppression of intemperance amongst the Irish people.
“One splendid result of the agitation for these reforms,” he said earnestly, “is that Irishmen are beginning to see that there is one Ireland after all. All creeds in Ireland are united in promoting these great reforms, and it is creating a national sentiment which is bringing all Irishmen into sympathy with each other.” ”

“ CHAPTER XV GUESTS IN AN IRISH HOME
Mike and I were glad to rest quietly all that day within the high walls that surrounded “Shaneville.” Here we were safe from interviewers, curious people, and an excited populace.
When aeroplaning is as common as motoring now is, it will be much more pleasant. Nowadays an aeroplane makes as much excitement as a comet, and I expect that even this record will read like a novel to some. There are people who might enjoy the notoriety which an aeroplane gives, but we were not anxious to get famous in that way. ”

“ We did not have a chance to visit any of the industries of Dublin, and only a linen factory and a shipyard in Belfast, but as the linen factory, The York Street Linen Mills, was one of the largest in Ireland, and the shipyard, Harland and Wolff’s, the largest in the world, they gave some idea of the industrial possibilities of the island.
Queenstown, Ireland, the first town to greet the tourist when he reaches Northern Europe and the last to bid him farewell when he departs, is a quaint and interesting old place. ”

“ Doubtless [126] he inherited his genius for gardening from his first parent, Adam. He brought the seed of the cherry from the Azores, and planted the first cherry tree in this famous garden, as it is said all the cherries in the United Kingdom can trace their descent back to Youghal.
We were now only thirty miles from Cork. As we left Youghal, and the landing place of the potato in Ireland, the heavy clouds suddenly made up their minds to decamp. They at once scattered in all directions, and in fifteen minutes the sun was shining just as though it had been with us all morning. ”

“ It is true that England has cruelly wronged Ireland. My own family has suffered in past generations, suffered shamefully. But the English Government of today is treating Ireland very differently. Gladstone inaugurated a new era, through the efforts of Parnell, Redmond, and our modern Irish leaders. Today the English people, I believe, want Ireland to have justice. ”

“ If it rains easy, it also clears away easy.
I was glad to see the fields of Cork again. We followed the railroad line most of the way from Youghal to Cork. We met a train again on this road, and had another noisy greeting from the engine and passenger coaches.
As we neared Cork, and saw the magnificent Cork Harbor, stretching down to Queenstown, I turned to Mike and said:
“Mike, Ireland is a great country, and you and I have seen it the last few days as nobody has ever seen it before. The aeroplane will give to Ireland a new fame throughout the world.” ”

“ The struggles of the Irish for [76] political freedom have been pathetic. The native Irish were often treated as the Indians were by the white men in America, but with this vital exception. In America the Indian quietly died out, and gave not trouble. In Ireland, the Irish lived, multiplied, and filled Ireland with Irishmen. The real estate deals made in Irish land by several of England’s rulers left a bad taste in the mouths of the Irish. In 1641, taking advantage of England’s Civil War, the Irish rose against the English and Scotch colonists in Ireland with terrible fury. ”

“ This is Ireland’s most sacred city. Two Primates of Ireland live here, and here are two Archbishops, and two magnificent Cathedrals. Armagh is a well-built town of some 8,000 inhabitants. It is built partly on a hill, which makes some of its streets quite steep. A Cathedral was founded here by St. Patrick in 432. His Eminence, Cardinal Logue, an able and learned divine, is the Roman Catholic Primate, while Dr. Alexander is the Protestant Primate of the island. The ecclesiastical head of the Presbyterian Church is called the Moderator, and is elected every year. ”

“ Ireland’s capital city, and I was anxious to see a real Irish home. Mike confided to me that he had already arranged to take Miss Edith for a flight over Dublin.
Immediately after breakfast we started. A big crowd cheered us as the aeroplane rose. As we circled around over the crowd, I could see Miss Edith’s handkerchief waving us a farewell.
We sailed along the coast from the Causeway towards Ballycastle, 13 miles away. It was as fine a coast as I have ever seen, excepting along County Clare. We passed over several old ruins, and saw the famous Carrick-a-Rede Bridge. ”

“ The purpose of the law is to remove from politics the landlord question, which has been a delicate one to deal with. Most of the larger estates were given to the ancestors of the present holders, and many of the owners live in England and collect their rents through a local agent. The new law makes the Government the landlord; and the tenant, by paying a certain annual sum for 63 years, becomes the owner of the fee. He has the privilege of paying all, or any part, at any time, and can dispose of his interest. ”

“ Ascending to the very summit of this hill, Mike turned the aeroplane in one of his familiar circles, and we made another wide sweep over Belfast. Below us we could see Belfast Castle. The Earl of Shaftesbury, grandson of the famous philanthropist, lives in this Castle, which is a modern mansion, as everything is around Belfast. The Earl has inherited some of the sterling qualities of his illustrious grandfather, and is a public spirited citizen. He was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1907. Belfast is a remarkable city, different from any other city in Ireland. ”

“ Agricultural societies have been formed for the improvement of crops and stock, and the trend is distinctly upward. The Irish leaders have not obtained all that they labored for—there is much to be secured before their work is complete, but when the history of Ireland is written, the leaders now living will be able to regard with justifiable pride the results of their devotion and sacrifice and their names will be added to the long list of Irish patriots and statesmen. ”

“ As one Irishman expressed it: “Ireland has been overrun with absentee landlords.”
For many years the English Government sought merely to repress the outbreaks of the dissatisfied Irish. Now, an honest attempt is being made to cure the cause of the discontent, and this accounts for these Land Laws, which have proved of such benefit already to the Emerald Isle.
Absentee landlords are hard to intimidate by popular outbreaks. On one occasion the angry tenants threatened to shoot the steward of a particularly obnoxious landlord, and the steward wrote about it to his master in England. ”

“ There are several large Presbyterian churches which show every sign of progress and prosperity. There were only a few people on the streets when we winged our way across the city at 6:00 o’clock. These stared up at us and we could see them running to the high places to keep us in sight. The farms in County Tyrone looked large compared with the microscopic farms of Connaught and Kerry, but they looked very small to an American. The macadamized roads are models in the way they are kept up, but they are narrow and winding. When the wagon roads cross a railroad, there is never a grade crossing. ”

“ Passing over Sligo we could see the farms improve, and when we reached County Leitrim, which we entered near Lake Allen, we could see a marked improvement. The soil was fertile, the farms and houses were larger, and there was a general air of prosperity apparent.
Our aeroplane whizzed through the misty, rainy atmosphere, like an ocean liner through a fog, but as the upper plane got soaked through, it began to leak down on us, and the water-logged planes made the machine [53] more difficult to control. ”

“ Excursion trains coming in from different points in the surrounding territory added to the crowd every hour. These excursion parties brought with them in every case one or two fife bands, and occasionally a brass band. These bands played popular airs to the great delight of the crowd. All these numerous bands, and the immense crowd of Irishmen and Irish women, gathered in a large field beside Enniskillen. It was a scene of the greatest [57] enthusiasm. Bands in different parts of the field were playing different airs. All was hub-bub and excitement. ”

“ The ruins are of great antiquity, but are well preserved, and they are quite extensive. The Cruciform church is still extant enough to show lines of great beauty. This was a former Sanctuary of the O’Briens of Limerick.
From Thurles we went directly west to Limerick.
Limerick is one of Ireland’s oldest cities, and it looks it. It is built on the Shannon river, and Limerick Castle still frowns over that noble stream. This old castle is well preserved.
Limerick, like so many of the towns around the coast of Ireland, was founded by the Danes. It has been the scene of some stirring Irish history. ”

“ One gets used to hearing the name of Deity in Ireland, but it does not shock you. The Irish use God’s name familiarly, but reverently; not lightly, as in [52] France; or vulgarly, as so often in America. No one calls on God to damn you in Ireland. God is appealed to for blessing.
“Good-bye,” Mike and I shouted, as we rose in the air. The crowd broke out in cheers, as we sailed away toward County Sligo.
We crossed several lakes and much enjoyed the rest of our flight over County Mayo, but it is not a desirable part of Ireland in which to till the soil. ”

“ After seeing that the aeroplane was carefully stored away in a corner of the hotel yard, Mike and I retired to our room until lunch. Mike was in splendid humor, and he had every reason to be. Our aeroplane trip was a success. We had conquered the Irish air. An Irish heiress is still more difficult to conquer, but it is wonderful what one can do in the Irish atmosphere. ”

“ Then the waiter, seeing we were ignorant Americans explained to us how they celebrated the victory of the Boyne every Twelfth of July, and how the celebration that day was to be the biggest ever held. Then I remembered how the great day in the North of Ireland is the Twelfth of July, just as the Seventeenth of March is the great day in the rest of Ireland. However, St. Patrick’s Day is now generally observed in some way not only in Ireland, but in all the world.
“Mike,” said I, “let us stay in Enniskillen today and celebrate.” ”

“ I re-peopled the green mounds with Druid priests and Irish Kings. I imagined coronation scenes, and vast armies filling the plains. These used to [99] be realities in Tara, but all is changed now. An air of loneliness pervades the very atmosphere. Even the “Stone of Destiny,” fabled as Jacob’s Pillow at Bethel, is gone. It was carried to Scotland centuries ago, and later taken to London, where it can be seen as the seat of the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey. We saw the Statue of St. Patrick, at which many a rude joke is made. ”

“ Some aeronauts may wonder we could make such a long flight, but straight, cross-country aeroplaning differs much from circling a mile track. The aeroplane is not so comfortable as a dirigible balloon, and a flight like Count Zeppelin’s recent cross-country trip in Europe would be quite strenuous in the heavier-than-air machines at present. But a journey of 300 or 400 miles a day, with proper stops, does not call for any extraordinary endurance. ”

“ The river Foyle formed at Strabane by the junction of the rivers Finn and Mourne, flows from Strabane to Derry (as Londonderry is called by the natives) a wide and noble stream.
Mike turned the aeroplane directly over the river after we left Strabane, and we flew above it for many miles. This Foyle Valley is a rich agricultural country, and I could see the crops of oats, flax, turnips, and [62] potatoes, growing in luxuriance in the fertile little fields. About half way between Strabane and Derry our motor gave us the first serious trouble. ”