Ireland as it is, and as it would be under Home RuleBuckley, Robert John
History
Ireland as it is, and as it would be under Home Rule
Buckley, Robert John
Home rule -- Ireland; Ireland -- Politics and government -- 1837-1901; Irish question
"Ye should sind ould Gladstone an' Morley an' the other ould women to
Carrignaheela till I give them a noggin' o' right poteen an' insinse
thim into the way iv it. The only way o' managin' me counthrymin is to
be the masther all out, an' 'tis thrue what I spake, an' sorra one o'
me cares who hears me opinion. I'm the only man in the counthry that
dares open his teeth, an' yet they all thrate me well now, an' the
priest invites me to his house. An' all because I spake me mind, an'
don't care three thraneens for the whole o' thim. 'Twas in America I
larned the secret."
Cork, April 20th.
No. 11.--THE CRY FOR PEACE AND QUIETNESS.
"What's the next place to this?" I asked, as the Southern and Western
Railway deposited me at Tralee. I was uncertain as to whether the
place was a terminus, but the gintleman who dhrove the cyar I hailed
marvelled greatly at my ignorance. He surveyed me from top to toe with
a compassionate expression. No doubt he had heard much of the
ignorance of the uncivilised English, but this beat the record. Not
to know that Tralee was on the sea, not to know that the little port
frowned o'er the wild Atlantic main, as Mr. Micawber would have said.
He struggled for a moment with his emotion and then said,
"Musha, the next parish is Amerikay!"
I apologised for my imperfect geographical knowledge, but the cyar-man
was immovable. No pardoning look stole over his big red face, which
was of the size and complexion of a newly cut ham. Nor would he enter
into conversation with the inquiring stranger. He cursed his horse
with a copiousness which showed his power of imagination, and with a
minute attention to detail which demonstrated a superior business
capacity. Put him in the House amongst the Nationalist members, and he
is bound to come to the front. The qualifications above-mentioned
cannot fail to ensure success. We have the examples before us, no need
to mention names. A hard cheek, a bitter tongue, and a good digestion
are the three great steps in the Irish Parliamentary _gradus ad
Parnassum_, the cheek to enable its happy possessor to "snub up" to
gentlemen of birth and breeding, the tongue to drip gall and venom on
all and sundry, the digestion to eat dirt _ad libitum_ and to endure
hebdomadal horsewhippings. Such a man, I am sure, was the dhriver of
my cyar, who may readily be identified. His physiognomy is very like
the railway map of Ireland, coloured red, with the rivers and mountain
ranges in dark-blue or plum-colour. As a means of ready reference he
would be invaluable in the House of Commons. How interesting to see
Mr. Gladstone poring over his cheek (Connaught and Leinster), his jaw
(Munster, with a pimple for Parnellite Cork), and his forehead
(Ulster, with the eyes for Derry and Belfast). The G.O.M. would find
the Kerry member invaluable. Like the rest he would probably be devoid
of shame, untroubled by scruples, and a straight voter for his side,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account