Part 1 (1/2)

A Reading Book in Irish History.

by P. W. Joyce.

PREFACE.

As this little book is intended chiefly for children, the language is very simple. But to make matters still easier, all words and allusions presenting the smallest difficulty are explained either in footnotes or in the ”Notes and Explanations” at the end.

Advantage has been taken of the descriptions under the several Ill.u.s.trations to give a good deal of information on the customs and usages of the ancient Irish people.

Although the book has been written for children, it will be found, I hope, sufficiently interesting and instructive for the perusal of older persons.

The book, as will be seen, contains a mixture of Irish History, Biography, and Romance; and most of the pieces appear in their present form now for the first time. A knowledge of the History of the country is conveyed, partly in special Historical Sketches, partly in the Notes under the Ill.u.s.trations, and partly through the Biography of important personages, who flourished at various periods from St. Brigit down to the Great Earl of Kildare. And besides this, the Stories, like those of all other ancient nations, teach History of another kind, very important in its own way.

Ancient Irish Ma.n.u.script books contain great numbers of Historical and Romantic Tales; and the specimens given here in translation will, I am confident, give the reader a very favourable impression of old Irish writings of this cla.s.s.

I make the following acknowledgments of a.s.sistance, with pleasure and thanks:--

To the Council of the Royal Irish Academy I am indebted for the use of the blocks of many Ill.u.s.trations in Wilde's ”Catalogue of Irish Antiquities.”

I owe to the Council of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland several Ill.u.s.trations from their Journal.

Colonel Wood-Martin has given me the use of the blocks of several of the Ill.u.s.trations in his ”Pagan Ireland.”

Lord Walter FitzGerald has given me permission to reproduce the drawing of the old Chapter House door in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, from the ”Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society.”

And lastly, Messrs. Macmillan & Co. have permitted me to print portions of Lord Tennyson's poem, ”The Voyage of Maildune.”

I.

LEGENDS AND EARLY HISTORY.[1-1]

In our ancient books there are stories of five different races of people who made their way to Ireland in old times, with very exact accounts of their wanderings before their arrival, and of the battles they fought after landing. But these narratives cannot be depended on, for they are not real History but Legends, that is stories either wholly or partly fabulous. Of the five early races, the two last, who were called Dedannans and Milesians, were the most remarkable; and they are mixed up with most of the old Irish tales.

[1-1] It is necessary to know the substance of this first sketch in order to understand the rest of the book.

The Dedannans, coming from Greece, landed in Ireland; and having overcome the people they found there, became masters of the country.

They had the name of being great magicians; and ancient Irish writings are full of tales of the marvellous spells of their skilled wizards.

They remained in possession for about two hundred years, till the Milesians came, as will now be related.

For many generations the Milesians, before their arrival in Ireland, journeyed from one part of Europe to another, seeking for some place of settlement. And becoming at length weary of this state of unrest, they consulted their chief druid, who was a skilful seer, and bade him find out for them when they were to end their wanderings, and where they were to settle down. The druid, having thought the matter over for a while, told them that far out on the verge of the western sea was a lovely green island called Inisfail,[2-1] or the Island of Destiny, which was to be their final home and resting-place. So they set out once more, and fared on from land to land, keeping the Isle of Destiny ever in mind, thinking of it by day and dreaming of it by night. At last they arrived in Spain, where they lived for a time. Here they were under the command of the renowned hero ”Miled of Spain,”[2-2] or Milesius, from whom they came to be called Milesians.

[2-1] Inisfail, one of the old names of Ireland.

[2-2] Miled, p.r.o.nounced _Mee-le_ (two syllables).