FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   >>   >|  
errynane Bay, he and his brother landed cargoes which were sent over the hills on horses' backs to receivers in Tralee. Of O'Connell himself most stories have been told, but it is difficult to indicate the enormous influence he had over the lower classes in his own country. Years before George IV. had aptly expressed the situation amid his maudlin tears over Catholic emancipation. 'Wellington is King of England, O'Connell is King of Ireland, and I suppose I'm only considered Dean of Windsor.' As an advocate, the Liberator had many of the attributes of Kenealy, and his popularity was so great that he was often briefed in every case at an assize. There is no doubt that he bullied judges, was allowed enormous laxity in browbeating opposing counsel and witnesses, and, like Father O'Flynn, had a wonderful way with him, so far as the jury was concerned. When I saw him in Dublin, I at once realised how true must be the bulk of the stories of his great conceit. He has been elevated into a superhuman being by the posthumous praise of hundreds of blatant mob orators. Dan had two brothers, John and James. The latter was the first baronet, and noted for his witty sayings. He presided at a dinner given for the purpose of presenting an address to the manager of a bank. On the toast of the Army and Navy being proposed, the only man who could return thanks for the former was a solicitor named Murphy, who said that if he were forced to respond to the toast, it clearly proved what a peaceful community they lived in, adding:-- 'It is such a long time since I laid by the sash and the sword, that I have forgotten my drill.' 'But you have never forgotten the charge,' observed the chairman, who had a long bill from Murphy in his pocket at the time. On another occasion, a lady spoke to James about subscribing to the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Killarney. 'For my part,' she observed, 'it's little I can do in my lifetime, but I have left all my money for the good of my soul.' 'I believe, ma'am,' says James, 'you were an original shareholder in the Provincial Bank. The shares are now quoted at eighty and they pay six per cent. That is very much like twenty-one per cent. on the original capital.' 'I am not a clever man like you at making these calculations,' replies the lady; 'I have higher and holier things to think about.' 'Don't say that again to me, ma'am,' says he. 'I put my money into farms, and I get five
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
original
 
Catholic
 

observed

 

forgotten

 

stories

 

enormous

 

Murphy

 

Connell

 

return

 
chairman

proposed
 

solicitor

 

charge

 

adding

 

proved

 
peaceful
 

community

 

pocket

 
respond
 

forced


clever

 

making

 

calculations

 

capital

 
twenty
 

replies

 

higher

 

things

 

holier

 

eighty


Killarney
 
occasion
 
subscribing
 

Cathedral

 

lifetime

 
shares
 

quoted

 

Provincial

 

shareholder

 
Ireland

England

 
suppose
 

considered

 

Wellington

 

emancipation

 
situation
 
expressed
 
maudlin
 

Windsor

 
briefed