One of the employees of the cemetery, who showed us around, said that it
was the intention of Parnell's friends to erect a monument to correspond
with that of Daniel O'Connell on the other side of the chapel, but after
a discussion of several years they had decided to place the memorial
downtown at the site I have already mentioned, where it would always be
before the eyes of the public. O'Connell's body is buried in a crypt
underneath the monument. His heart is in a casket in the chapel of the
Irish College at Rome.
Several other famous Irish patriots are buried in Prospect Cemetery, and
I asked the guide where the body of Robert Emmet was laid.
"That's a great sacret," he answered mysteriously, "an' I wouldn't tell
it to yer honor avin if I knew; with all respict to yer honor. It woul'
be the same as me life is worth. The soul of Robert Emmet has gone to
God. His bones is in the hands of the friends of Ireland, but will
remain in their prisint sacred hiding place until Ireland is free."
Michael Davitt is buried in the town of Straid, County Mayo, where he
was born and where his parents were evicted from their home during his
childhood. The grave is marked with an ordinary stone. There has been no
movement thus far for a monument in his honor. His widow lives at
Dalkey, the lovely suburb of Dublin by the sea, which I describe
elsewhere. She is in excellent circumstances financially, has a
comfortable home,--much more comfortable than any she had during her
husband's lifetime,--and is educating her four children, two boys and
two girls, at the best schools. The oldest son, now a young man of
twenty-two, is studying law, and promises to show much of the ability of
his father.
One bright day I made a pilgrimage to the birthplaces and homes of
famous Irishmen in Dublin. It is to be regretted that the people of that
city feel so little respect for the memory of their heroes as to permit
the scenes that were associated so closely with their careers to become
filthy whisky dives. Several of these sacred places are among the most
disreputable saloons in Dublin.
Henry Grattan was born in 1746 in a house on Fishamble Street, near the
old church where Handel first produced his famous oratorio "The
Messiah," and was baptized in the Church of St. John near by. He was
educated in Trinity College, Dublin, and the trustees of that
institution have erected a statue in his honor outside the old house of
parliament, now the Bank of Ireland, which was the scene of his most
eminent services. He is represented in the attitude of pleading with
uplifted hands for the liberty of Ireland. The figure is the
personification of eloquence.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account