OF THE

UNIVERSITY

THE history of Ireland should have a fascinating interest to the American reader from the fact that it presents a long line of brilliant poets, essayists, and orators who have contributed to the classic literature of our common English tongue. Too long has England claimed them as exclusively British, until we forget that Thomas Moore, Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund Burke, the gifted Sheridan, and hosts of glorious names were Irish-born. The names of statesmen, generals, patriots, and heroes whose grand achievements have been the honor of all lands-the duke of Wellington, Curran, Burke, Grattan, Emmet, O'Connell, whose deeds shed a halo of glory upon the historic pagewere Irishmen all. Nor will America soon forget that from the beginning of the struggle for independence to this very hour Irish blood hath mingled freely with her own on every battle-field from Concord to Yorktown, and in the war of 1812 the proudest names of Irish families are found upon her army and navy roll. In the struggle still fresh in the memory of the nation the Irish citizens formed entire regiments and brigades, and among the heroes whom the nation delights to honor are found such names as Sheridan, Kilpatrick, Sullivan, O'Brien, McDonald, McClernand, and a host of others.

The adopted citizens of America whose memories and sympathies still cluster about the land of their birth, and their descendants who share with them the love for the "fairest isle of the sea," can never tire of reading the wonderful deeds of their ancestors. The patriotism, love of liberty and heroic fortitude

which characterized the noblest sons of Erin they love to keep in memory bright. The history of the questions which affect the dearest interests of their race, and are still all important, should be understood by every one. The gigantic land question, which touches the social life of the Irish peasantry, reaches far back in the history of Ireland, and should be read to comprehend the bearing of the present agitation, which, please God, may yet result in her entire emancipation from thraldom. We have therefore brought down the narrative to the very hour of publication.

That we have done this in the spirit of fairness may be evident from the following considerations: In our reading of Mr. Knight's "History of England," we came very quickly to the conclusion that the great importance of Ireland as an integral part of the British Empire, required that her history should receive a fuller treatment than the occasional glimpses which he there gives. After reading much upon the subject, and carefully weighing such evidence as came within our reach,—and there was a great abundance of it,—we were convinced that an “impartial history of Ireland" could only be given by judiciously treating its important events in a spirit of open candor, and unbiased by any preconceived opinions on the subject. Hence we took the history of that gifted lady the nun of Kinmare as the basis of the following history of Ireland, and believe that our readers will agree with us that this is an impartial presentation of the salient points in the annals of a land remarkable for valor, suffering, and devotion to principle.

We ask the reader to collate the parallel passages of Irish history as treated in the following pages with the corresponding points in Mr. Knight's "Popular History of England," and thus he cannot fail to see in both writers, one from the English and the other from the Irish point of vision, the evidence of fairness and credibility of each, and be fully satisfied that we have here given an " IMPARTIAL HISTORY OF THE IRISH PEOPLE."

THE earliest annals of any country are lost in the misty legends that stretch afar back beyond the real foundation of history. From the very nature of the case it is impossible that a people should begin to write their own history at the very commencement of their career. Something must be achieved worthy of note before a record of it can be transcribed. This is most especially true of the older nations, whose history stretches back for thousands of years, like that of England, France, Germany, or Ireland, which now forms an integral part of the British empire. The history of the wooded isle, or "The Sacred Island," as it was called for a long time, cannot fail to have a fascinating interest to every English reader. The traditions of its early years are picturesque, and the story of its

first inhabitants as told in song and myth is a very poetic one; but our space will forbid our going into any details. Who these first inhabitants were it is now impossible to say, but it is quite certain that it was inhabited as early as the reign of Solomon, the wise king of Israel, or two thousand years before the Christian era. We can only take a most hasty and summary glance at the stories told by the old bards and legend-writers, for it will not do to ignore them altogether. The first one is to the effect that about three centuries after the general deluge, one of the descendants of Japhet, named Partholan, having murdered his own father and mother, sailed down the Mediterranean, and pushing out boldly into the great Western Ocean held on a northerly course until he came to the shores of a beautiful wooded island. His descendants spread over the land, and for a time increased in numbers; but at last they were all swept off by a fearful scourge as a punishment for the sin of their progenitor.

Then comes a second immigration, the story of which is as vague and uncertain as the foregoing. The leader of this was Nemedh, who is said to have led an expedition from the Black Sea across the country which is now Russia, thence across to the Baltic and to England, and across to Ireland. When he came to Ireland he built two great forts and "cleared twelve plains of wood." There was constant war by his descendants with a terrible race of Formorians, who had fled from northern Africa and taken refuge in the western islands. At last these Formorians prevailed over them and the new comers were all either exiled or slain. Some of their posterity returned long after this and contended for possession of the land under two expeditions.

The third immigration was under the Firbolgs, or Belga, who took possession of the island and partitioned it into five parts, one for each of the five sons of Dela, a descendant of Nemedh. They were not long left in undisputed possession, for the overcrowded population of Asia was pressing hard upon the inhabitants of Central Europe and driving them westward. A fourth immigration of men claiming descent from their common ancestor, Nemedh, came to Ireland. Being soothsayers they could quell storms, cure diseases, foretell future events, raise the dead, and perform many mighty deeds. They were termed Tuatha de Danans, and by their wonderful gifts subdued the people. They were helped in this work of conquest by "the Lia Fail" or "stone of destiny." These men held supremacy over the country till there came another invasion. The fifth and last immigration was made by men who are called by different names at different periods in their history. Gails, from the name of one of their remote ancestors; Milesians, from the man who projected their coming, or Scoti, from the name of the mother of Milesius. This race came from Spain, under the command of one of the sons of the man Milesius, who had died during their temporary sojourn there. All the arts and devices of the skillful Tuatha were of no avail against these new comers. The Firbolgs surrounded their island with storms and made themselves invisible from the sea; but these magicians who held the country were out beaten in their own arts, for one of the sons of Milesius was a Druid, and had learned all