GLASNEVIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 113, 26 June 1875, Page 6

GLASNEVIN.

W« have spoken of certain graves over which one would naturally expect to find some memorial of those whose mortal parts are laid to rest below. We have yet to add another to the number. Not far off from the MacManus plot lie the relics of a gifted young Irishman— the poet John K. Casey — without a stone to indicate the spot. In his lifetime he had many friends, snd still his genius has many admirers — it is well to be able to say at all events that for this utter neglect of his place of sepulture they are not to blame. Shortly after his death a sum of money quite sufficient to raise a respectable memorial over his grave was freely subscribed by a number of patriotic Irishmen. That is more than five years ago, yet up to this day there is no sign of the proposed monument. Surely this state of things should not be allowed to continue any longer. The committee after their long sleep should waken up again, secretaries and treasurers should come to the front, and without further loss of time a monument to the memory of John K. Casey should be erected with the funds subscribed for that purpose. THE POLICEMAN'S TOMBSTONE!. Leaving this place and proceeding along one of the closely wooded, walks, we come to a coffin-shaped monument, with a long inscription in red and black letters running round the edge. Concerning this memorial many a protest is uttered by the passers-by, because it is regarded merely as a sort of placard there by the police authorities to convey a false charge for a bad purpose. The inscription states that it was erected to the memory of Constable Charles O'Neill, who was " assassinated " (in big letters) in the discharge of his duty on the 29th of April, 1866. This charge of " assassination" is put forward to give the affair a political aspect. The word assassination is usually understood to refer to premeditated murder. But in this case there was no premeditation. The facts are, that on the day mentioned a drunken man in one of the back streets of Dublin had been quarrelling with some people, displaying a revolver in his hand and threatening to shoot some of them. A woman who was thus threatened cried out for the police; unfortunate O'Neill came oh the scene, and gave chase to the

wretched inebriate, who fired at and mortally wounded him. The affair was entirely a drunken brawl, and had' no political aspect. The design of the police authorities to make this tombstone subserve a purpose of their own is the more evident from the fact that the remains of the policeman, who, it appears, was a very wellconducted and worthy man, are notuuder it at all. They lie in another part of the cemetery. The authorities, however, would have this memorial with its record of so-called " assassination " placed close by the side of one of the chief walks of the cemetery, and would not even remove the coffin of the poor man to the same place. These facts, which are pretty generally known, give rise to a feeling quite the reverse of pleasant in the minds of many <&bO, as they pass by, regard that piece of work less as a monument to the arurdered man than as a stone edition of the " Hue and Cry," THE OKAYS OF CLARENCE SIANGAN. Proceeding eastwards, we approach the Mortuary Chapel, in which the Holy sacrifice of the Mass is daily offered up for the souls of those who are interred in the cemetery, and of all the faithful departed. Before we enter the " Chapel Circle " we turn to the right into an unfrequented part of the ground, where the grass grows high and wild over the crowded graves, aud there, in the midst of many unpretending headstones, we see two very plain ones, identical in pattern, with a small cross of white marble fixed on the top of each, standing side by side, as if they belonged to members of one family. On one of these we read the following inscription : Erected to the Memory of James Clarence Manoan, Who died 21st June, 1849, aged 46 years. Requiescat in pace, This much and no more. Not a word to indicate that he who sleeps below was a true child of genius, that the poet's heart and the poet's mind were his, that he was one of the sweetest singers this land of song ever produced. Looking on this lowly grave of his, the last lines of one of his touching and beautiful poems come to our minds : Tick-tick, tick-tick !— not a sound save-time's, Aud the windgust as it drives the rain — Tortured torturer oi reluctant rhymes. Go to bed, and rest thine aching brain ! Sleep ! no more the dupe of hopes and schemes, Soon thou sleepest where the thistles blowCurious anti-climax to tby dreams Twenty golden years ago ' Amongst these graves we could linger long, for there are many more within the boundary wall of this burial ground which have especial claims on the regard of Irishmen. One which lies not far from the entrance gate holds the relics of a man whose name and . fame will last as long as the Irish hills — the gifted orator, the fearless advocate, the incorruptible patriot, John Fhilpot Curran. Within a few paces of it stands the monument erected by the Eepeal Association and the Trades Political Union to the memory of a faithful representative of the people, Edward Southwell Ruthven, M.P. for Dublin, who died in March, 1836. Quitting this hallowed ground, on our way towards the gate we pass a headstone on the back of which is the following inscription : "Beneath lie the remains of Michael, the beloved son of I Michael Carey, of Francis Street, who was the first ever interred in. this cemetery, 22nd February, 1832." The number of interments from that time to the present date is something over 267,000. THE FORBIDDEN CROSS. Over one grave in this famous cemetery, which we have now quitted, there stands a portion of an unfinished monument, the story of which is as curious perhaps as any, and not the least sad. One portion of the monument stands, as we have said, over the grave j the other stands, where it has stood for years, in the workyard of the maker, Mr. Denanny, some distance outside the walls ; and the cemeteries' committee, it appears, will not allow the two to be put together. The grave is that of Stephen O'Donoghue, who was shot ,by the police in the Fenian rising of 1867, at Tallaght, County Dublin. The friends and admirers of this humMa but brave man, when making arrangements for the erection of thrar cross over his remains, submitted a drawing of it, and a copy of the proposed inscription, to the cemeteries' committee, in accordance with one of the rules — and a very proper one — of that body. The sketch, if we are rightly informed^ was approved of, and the necessary authorization given for the erection of the cross. When the work was finished, however, objection was taken by the committee to some of the sculpture on the panels and to some portions of the inscription. The inscription spoke of the devotion of the deceased to his "oppressed country; " the committee objected to the word oppressed. A pike and a musket were carved upon the ■ stone; they objected to those emblems, and to a phrase, if we ; recollect rightly, in which the deceased was referred to as a " soldier • of Ireland." , The friends of poor O'Donoghue consented, unwilling we may i suppose, to remove the words and signs that offended the loyal j feelings of the committee. They got the word " oppressed " cut } out of the inscription, and the pike and gun cut out of the sculpi ture, and then once again they obtained permission to set up the f cross over the remains of their friend. But just as they were about . to have it conveyed into the cemetery, word was sent them that - the committee withdrew their sanction, and would not allow the i cross to be erected. And so the matter stands from that time to i the present. The only inscriptions on this forbidden cross at the present f are the following. On the circle round the junction of its shaft j and arms are the words " God and your country." On one of the c panels at the base we read :

Sacred to the Memory of Stephen O'Dono&htth, A patriot of Ireland, -who lost his life at Tallaght, on the 6th of March, 1867, in the 30th year of his age. E.I.P. On another panel is the following : ' Stephen O'Donogkhtje. This memorial has been erected "by Ms admiring compatriots to perpetuate the memory of his devotion to his country. .^ God Save Ireland. The scroll on which one of these inscriptions is engraved hangs over a representation of a sword, and in another place are sculptured the usual Irish emblems — a round tower, woolf-dog, ruined abbey, and a rising sun. That is a full description .of this forbidden cross, and the wonder is what anyone can see in it to cause its exclusion from the cemetery. The cemeteries' commit bee have done many generous and patriotic acts. The remains of John Philpot Curran were brought to Ireland, and interred here at their expense ; so also -were the remains of the Liberator. They made a free grant of a plot of ground sixteen feet square for the burial-place of MacManus. The plots in which O'Curry and some other eminent Irishmen are interred were also given for the purpose free of charge. For this the committee deserve credit. But their exclusion of this O'Donoghue memorial is a strange proceeding, the motive or meaning of which quite passes the public understanding. Some people fancy that pressure must have been brought to bear upon them from the Castle ; but the Castle itself could scarcely object to the placing of this cross, in it spresent condition, over the grave of a Catholic Irishman. May we not hope that the committee will reconsider their determination, in this matter ? Standing where it does, close by the high-road to the cemetery, this forbidden cross attracts much attention, is visited by great numbers of persons, and gives rise to strong feelings in the breasts of those who learn its history. We trust it will shortly be removed to the place for •which it was intended, and that this will end a tale which is almost the only one of an unpleasant nature which can be told in relation to the management of our great national cemetery' at Grlasnevin. _^______^_____ i