CHAPTER XV
GUESTS IN AN IRISH HOME
M
Mikeand 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.
During our pleasant day at “Shaneville,” I renewed my conversation with Mr. O’Neill in regard to his native land, and, in his library that afternoon we had a long talk again on Ireland.
I noticed that the coat of arms of “Shaneville” was a red hand, with the cross of St. George, and I had remarked that I saw that coat of arms somewhere before. Mr. O’Neill laughed heartily, and assured me he was confident I had seen it often. He told me that was the coat of arms of Ulster, now, and was seen everywhere in the North of Ireland. It was his family which gave Ulster this sign. Long centuries before when his ancestorscame over from Scotland to Ireland, the invaders agreed amongst themselves that whoever touched the shore of Ireland first with his hand would be King. An O’Neill amongst them, when the boat stranded on the beach, promptly drew his sharp sword, and cut off his left hand and threw it high on the beach, and was at once hailed as King by the rest. Since that the O’Neill emblem has been a red hand. Mr. O’Neill related how his family held power from that time until the beginning of the 17th century, when a rebellion against England cost them their power and estates in Ulster. It was at this time that Ulster was colonized anew from Scotland.
JamesI.confiscated nearly all Ulster, and partitioned out the land to new settlers, mostly from Scotland. Although this act had meant the ruin of his house. I could see no bitterness in O’Neill’s voice as he spoke of this “plantation of Ulster,” as he called it. He said that these new settlers had made good, industrious citizens, and that Ulster was the most prosperous part of Ireland today. He spoke highly of the character of these Scotch-Irishmen, and added:
“You know, sir, away back our own people came from Scotland.”
Still, I could see that O’Neill looked on these great real estate transfers by the kings of England as wrongs to the native Irish.
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 theGaelic 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.”
“Our curse has been,” he continued, “that we have been divided so much amongst ourselves.”
I was surprised when he told me of the Government’s present efforts to improve Irish agriculture. There is an Agricultural Department, which furnishes instructors on such subjects as improving of crops, and stock, butter and poultry. They also furnish seeds and fertilizers, and are doing a great deal in promoting prosperity in the backward parts of the island. Mr. O’Neill was enthusiastic about the Gaelic revival.
“Why,” he said, “they are even teaching Gaelic now in the National Schools of Ireland. In former times the use of the native tongue was discouraged in every way by the Government, but now teachers are being trained to teach it.”
I suggested to him that the English was quite a useful language, since it was spoken in America, and so widely throughout the world.
“We still expect to use English, of course,” he exclaimed. He then explained that the efforts of DouglasHyde and his friends were to make the Irish a bi-lingual people, just as the Welsh are.
In speaking of the progress of this interesting revival of Gaelic in Ireland he gave me some facts.
In 1901 as many as 638,000 could speak Gaelic in Ireland, and the number is constantly increasing. All the churches in Ireland, Protestant, and Catholic, have endorsed the movement. There is a strong Gaelic League, which employs over a dozen lecturers and organizers, who promote the study of Gaelic all over the island. I was assured that even in America there was a strong branch of this Gaelic League, and Mr. O’Neill told me that Mr. Roosevelt had endorsed the work highly.
O’Neill was also deeply interested in the temperance reform.
“Ireland,” he said to me, “has been a place where they have had too much good whisky and too much bad politics. These two things have ruined us.”
He spoke with much pride of the fact that scientific temperance instruction had been introduced into the National schools of Erin in 1905, and also told of the work that all the churches were doing. He was an ardent admirer of Father Mathew.
“A real temperance apostle,” he exclaimed, “one of God’s best blessings to Ireland since the days of St. Patrick.”
He spoke cordially of the temperance leaders, and told me of the good work being done at Maynooth collegeby the Faculty and the students. He said that America’s eminent churchman, Archbishop Ireland, had helped the temperance cause in Ireland, which is his native land. He also mentioned Rev. John Macmillan, of Belfast, the temperance leader among the Presbyterians in Ireland, and said he was a noble temperance patriot.
“These reforms,” he repeated, “are bringing us together and giving a feeling of unity to Irishmen such as they have not had since the days of Brian Boru.”
I asked him what he thought of Ireland’s relation to England.
He paused a few moments before answering, and when he did reply it was in a low, quiet tone.
“We must forget the past,” he said, “if Ireland is to make progress. 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.”
I asked him what he thought of separation from England. He answered at once: “We cannot be separated. God has placed the islands side by side. What we want is freedom to manage internal affairs, just as the States in America, just as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We want local-self government, but we must remain a part of the British Empire.”
He went on to tell me how the Irishmen had helped to build up the British Empire, and make it what it is today.
“The present ambassador of the British Empire in Washington,” he exclaimed, “is an Irishman.”
I was profoundly impressed with his views on this subject. I could see he was a man with wide sympathy and practical outlook, and believed in living for the future, rather than the past. He still had all the fire of the O’Neill blood in his veins, but it had been disciplined by generations of suffering.
We had a happy time in the evening. There is no hospitality like the Irish hospitality. It is whole-hearted, cordial and sincere.
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.”
Edith blushed and turned again to the piano.
“Tut, tut,” said Mr. O’Neill to Mike, “you havebeen kissing the Blarney Stone since you came to Ireland.”
“It’s the atmosphere,” I remarked, “Mr. Connor gets more like an Irishman every day.”
“Did you ever hear what the citizens of Dublin did when the Union of 1801 was agitated?” asked Mr. O’Neill. “They held an indignation meeting, and resolved to burn everything that was imported from England, exceptcoal.” As we laughed heartily at this, Mr. O’Neill went on: “Our coachman made a curious remark to me today about you gentlemen and your aeroplane. He said you ought to feel proud of this trip you are making over Ireland in the air, for you are goingwhere the foot of man never trod before.”
“This coachman amused me shortly after I first hired him. There is a bad hole back of the stable, and I forgot to say anything to him about it until I found he had fallen into it, and hurt himself severely. I told him I was sorry I had forgotten to tell him about it.”
“That’s all right, Master,” he replied, “I found it myself.”