Herself-Ireland (1918) (14596286738)

Identifier: herselfireland01ocon (find matches)
Title: Herself--Ireland
Year: 1918 (1910s)
Authors: O'Connor, T. P., Mrs., d. 1931
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



Text Appearing Before Image:
sbefore Christ was recently found in a CountyAntrim bog, and in 1886, near the village ofIslandbridge, swords, spearheads, bosses of shields,tongs, brooches, mantlepins, and helmet crests ofwhite metal were unearthed and proved to be richrelics of Scandinavian chiefs engaged in battleagainst the ancient Irish, greatly to their dis-advantage on account of the Danes corslets, thinand vahant swords, and their well rivetted longspears. These ancient warriors with their primi-tive implements fought with more manliness thanmen of the present day. It was a fair field and noquarter, but the air was clear of gas, and bombsdid not tear up the earth and demolish strong-holds, which stood unimpaired even when they sur-rendered through force of arms. The Danish vik-ing sword-hilts of bronze, gilded and decoratedwith insets of silver wire, are finely wrought, butare not finer than ancient Irish work. The swordfrom the cemetery of Kilmainham is said to beone of the most perfect swords in any museum.
Text Appearing After Image:
THE TREASURES OF IRELAND 187 And the Irish brooches of silver, of bronze, ofsilver gilt bronze, of enamel, and of gold and sil-ver cunningly inlaid, are remarkable for delicatehandling. The most celebrated is the Tara brooch,made about 700 Anno Domini, and discovered in1850 on the strand at Bettystown near Drogheda.The main body of this large ornament is bronzedecorated with fine gold filigree, and brilliantenamel and settings of blue and purple glass andof amber. The back of the brooch is probablyexecuted by another hand, for the ornamentationof hard white bronze and cloisonne and red andblue enamel is freer in style than the front. Thefineness of the work is exquisite; it was probablymade by a friend and pupil of the Great Man whodesigned and illustrated the Book of Kells. Evenmore ancient than the brooch of Tara is a smallcollection of beads. Women of all ages haveloved beads. Ladies of 900 were satisfied withglass. Ladies of 1917 demand pearls. That is theexpensive difference. The