On an Irish jaunting-car through Donegal and Connemara (1902) (14781400112)

Identifier: onirishjauntingc00bayn (find matches)

Title: On an Irish jaunting-car through Donegal and Connemara

Year: 1902 (1900s)

Authors: Bayne, Samuel G. (Samuel Gamble), 1844-1924

Subjects:

Publisher: New York, London, Harper

Contributing Library: The Library of Congress

Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

Text Appearing Before Image:

clopean masonry,with which these islands are literally cov-ered; for it must be remembered that Ire-land in the early ages was the universityof Europe, the chief resort of the literati,where scholars came to learn and to teachone another all that was then known,and their numbers were so great that manybuildings were required for their accom-modation. The wonder of it all is whythese isolated islands should have beenselected as the seat of learning, when somany other more convenient sites couldhave been chosen. The men who de-cided the matter seem to have thoughtthat islands so far removed from the main-land would offer seclusion and better pro-tection from the various wars that haddrenched Ireland in blood for so manycenturies. I shall, therefore, content my-self with what is above stated regardingDun Aengus, the largest and most im-portant structure on the islands. Passing over the tradition of LoughLurgan, the earliest reference to the pre-Christian history of the Aran Islands is112

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ARAN ISLANDS to be found in the accounts of the battleof Muireadh, in which the Firbolgs, hav-ing been defeated by the Danann, weredriven for refuge into Aran and otherislands on the Irish coast, as well as intothe western islands of Scotland. Chris-tianity was introduced in the fifth cen-tury by St. Enda, Eaney, or Endeus, whoobtained a grant of the islands from Aen-gus, the Christian king of Munster, andfounded ten religious establishments.Aranmore speedily obtained a world-widerenown for learning, piety, and asceticism,and many hundreds of holy men fromother parts of Ireland and foreign coun-tries constantly resorted to it to studythe sacred scriptures and to learn andpractise the rigid austerities of a hermitslife; in consequence of which the islandwas distinguished by the name of Ara-Naoimh, or Ara of the Saints. A century ago a curious custom prevailedin these islands. When a body was beingcarried to the grave, a convenient spotwas selected at which to rest the pall-bear-ers; he

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1902

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