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Thomas O'Neill Russell. Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland
Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland
Table of Contents
PREFACE
KILLARNEY
TARA
LOCH REE
“EMANIA THE GOLDEN”
QUEEN MAB’S PALACE
THE HILL OF UISNEACH
CLONMACNOIS
KNOCK AILLINN
“KILDARE’S HOLY FANE”
GLENDALOCH
“LORDLY AILEACH”
“ROYAL AND SAINTLY CASHEL”
LOCH ERNE
MELLIFONT AND MONASTERBOICE
TRIM CASTLE
CONG ABBEY
LOCH DERG
HOLYCROSS ABBEY
DUNLUCE CASTLE
BOYLE ABBEY
THE LAKES OF WESTMEATH
KELLS OF MEATH
CUCHULAINN’S DUN AND CUCHULAINN’S COUNTRY
THE WILD WEST COAST
DUBLIN AND ITS ENVIRONS
BELFAST AND ITS ENVIRONS
CORK AND ITS ENVIRONS
GALWAY AND ITS ENVIRONS
THE CLOUD SCENERY OF IRELAND
SOMETHING ABOUT IRISH PLACE NAMES
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Thomas O’Neill Russell
Being a Tourist's Guide to Its Most Beautiful Scenery & an Archæologist's Manual for Its Most Interesting Ruins
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It is not to be wondered at that the Leinster Tribute totally denationalised the province on which it was levied, and made its harried inhabitants side with the Danes and with the Anglo-Normans against their own countrymen. But what is most astonishing about the Tribute is its enormousness. That part of Leinster which was the ancient province could hardly pay such a tax to-day. This matter seems to show that ancient Ireland, in spite of a state of almost continual intestine warfare, was far richer and more populous than is generally supposed.
The most horrible act recorded in Irish history was committed at Tara—that is, the slaughter of 3030 women by the Leinstermen in the year 241. Here is what the Four Masters say of it under that year:—“The massacre of the girls at Cloonfearta at Tara, by Dunlang, King of Leinster. Thirty royal girls was the number, and a hundred maids with each of them. Twelve princes of the Leinstermen did Cormac put to death in revenge of that massacre, together with the exaction of the Borumha (Tribute) with an increase after Tuathal.” The Cormac here spoken of was the celebrated Cormac Mac Airt, one of the best over-kings that ever ruled ancient Ireland. This horrible massacre of maidens in Tara is so often mentioned in ancient Irish history and annals, and the same number of victims so invariably given, that there cannot be any doubt whatever about its having occurred. But particulars about it seem wanting. There was probably some pagan festival to be celebrated in Tara, at which the children of the upper classes only attended. The ladies may have arrived from the different parts of the country before the men, and when the harried Leinstermen made a raid on Tara, they found it unguarded save by women, and killed them and burned Tara to the ground at the same time; or it may have been that the women tried to help the few men that happened to be there in protecting the place, and Dunlang made an indiscriminate massacre of every one he found in it. This horrible act was caused by the imposition of the Leinster Tribute. It is to be presumed that there were no Leinster girls among those who were slaughtered.
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