Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (2 of 2): (2nd ed.) (1888)Hurlbert, William Henry
History
Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (2 of 2): (2nd ed.) (1888)
Hurlbert, William Henry
Ireland -- Description and travel; Ireland -- Politics and government -- 1837-1901
The precincts of the church adjoin the grounds and garden, and with
these make up a most fascinating poem in architecture. The churches of
St. Mary of Youghal and St. Nicholas of Galway have always been cited to
me as the two most interesting churches in Ireland. Certainly this
church of St. Mary, as now restored, is worth a journey to see. Its
massive tower, with walls eight feet thick, its battlemented chancel,
the pointed arches of its nave and aisles, a curious and, so far as I
know, unique arch in the north transept, drawn at an obtuse angle and
demarcating a quaint little side-chapel, and the interesting monuments
it contains, all were pointed out to me with as much zest and
intelligent delight by Father Keller as if the edifice were still
dedicated to the faith which originally called it into existence. It
contains a fine Jacobean tomb of Richard, the "great Earl of Cork," who
died here in September 1643. On this monument, which is in admirable
condition, the effigy of the earl appears between those of his two
wives, while below them kneel his five sons and seven daughters, their
names and those of their partners in marriage inscribed upon the marble.
It was of this earl that Oliver said: "Had there been an Earl of Cork in
every province, there had been no rebellion in Ireland." Several Earls
of Desmond are also buried here, including the founder of the church,
and under a monumental effigy in one of the transepts lies the wonderful
old Countess of Desmond, who having danced in her youth with Richard
III. lived through the Tudor dynasty "to the age of a hundred and ten,"
and, as the old distich tells us, "died by a fall from a cherry-tree
then."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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