A PASSING GLIMPSE AT INNISMURRAY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 12, 19 December 1890, Page 11

A PASSING GLIMPSE AT INNISMURRAY.

(By A. Causal Visitob, in the Nation.) FEW of the holy islands for which Ireland is remarkable oossess such interest or attraction as the little island of Innismurray which lie* about five miles off the coast of Sligo at the eatranea to the Bay of Donegal. A brief holiday of late at the favourite watering place of BnDdoian put it within our reach to visit that sacred spot, and there to witness one of the most perfect specimens extant of an early cenobitacal retreat. In this material age no word-painting or description can bring before the mind with realistic effect the austere discipline and penitential lives led by our fathers in tbe Faith in the distant past. To walk, therefore-at least in sp.nt-wi h the saints and scholars of ancient Erin, and to contemplate the life of heroic virtne which they led midst some of the wildest aid most desolate scenes in our country, one has but to visit such sacred retreats as Innismurray, where the very stones speak eloquently of the time when those " roofless shrmeless, monkless " cloisters reaounded with the hymns and canticles of the Creator's praise. To visit Innismurray, fair weather is indispensable. Fortunately for ÜB,,tbe day appointed for the little excursion was extremely calm the only drawback being a clouded and hazy atmosphere Leaving Bundoran at nine o'clock on a well-appointed waggonettej our p.rty in little over an hour s drive, reached Mount Temple some distance beyond the village of Dliffoney, and here that genial guide and ferryman, Johnny M'Cann, already known to fame, kindly took us in charge, and without a moment's delay had us located "in his trusty Bkiff previously engaged crew of four experienced batmen, supplemented at intervals by volunteers from our party, with M'Cann junior, at the helm, caused the little craft to speed swiftly over the placid waters. Soon we passed Derinish Island, and advanced towards the open sea in the direction of Carng-oa-Spagna so called according to local tradition, from the fact that a large wa-ship of the Spanish Armada was here wrecked. At this stage of our" voyage the monotony was relieved by a large flock of sea-fowl, chief! v cormorants and purnos, some poised on wing, others afloat on the waves while others at our near approach dived to a considerable distance' away After straining our eyes eagerly for a glimpse of Innismurray we at length descry it dimly through the surrounding haze- and as we draw closer, it looks like an immense warship looming up maiestically from the ocean s crest. The tide being then at ebb, the island stood oat bold and precipitous to our view, its steep sides and cliffs especially atihe western extremity, clearly indicating the effects i.f the constant battling of wind and wave against its rock-bound coast Our voyage from Mount Temple, a distance of nine miles, was made in lese than two hours ; and when it is borne in mind that we rowed most of the way against an adverse, though gentle breeze as well as against the receding tide, the fe.it may not be wholly de-piUd At our touching shore in the perilous creek calkd Clashvmore Harbour, the islanders awaited our landing, and gave us very needful assistance in disembarking and in climbing up tbe steep cra^e which rise tier after tier like huge steps from tbe water's edge, As this the only landing stage on the island, we were astonished to think how the natives could by any means put to sea, except m the calmest of weather. It is clearly tbe duty of the G ivcrnm-nt to erect a suitable pier at Innißmurray, besides aiding the fishermen with loans to provide boats and nets, and thus enabling them to reap the rich harvest of the deep.

loniemurray contains about two hundred acre" scarcely onefourth of which can be termed, by any stretch of the imagination as arable land In shape it is eliptical, and measures about a mile in length from Kiuavally to Huo Point, its western and eas-ern extremi ties respectively ; whilst it greatest width from Portachurry on the south to learnan.'ane on its northern slope is considerably u-,der half that distance. What strikes you *t first sight is the 'bare aspect of the lslaod— not a tree nor even a shrub being visible Of the poorest and most barren quality is the soil, so that it did not surprise us to learn that the Land Commissioners reduced the rents upon it by about fifty per cent. The soil is of a light peat, with, unfortupalely, but little of the peat remaining, as the islanders depend upon its turf for fuel, and thus, year after year, an additional portion of the surface is removed, lajmg bare an immense number of and sandstone boulders, wcich give a rugged and uninviting Took to tbe western portion of the island in pmicular. The island po's«sses a colony of thirteen families, with a population of about one hundred in all. Iheir principal man— euphemistically styled "king ' — rejoices in the name of Martin Heraghty. In proof of his rojal lineage, Mr. Heragbty referred us to page 322 of O'HartV Pedigrees '' and with no little pride presented to our view the extract its-It copied in tery superior penmanship, lie is regarded as the repository of the tradition of tbe place, and as the arbitet of whatever differences may arise within hie dominion To Mr. Heraghty's couite^y and kindness towards visitors, in which the other lsUndeis also share o lr meed of praise is given without reserve. And here we mvs 1 txpress our deep regret at the sad intelligence, lately conveyed in the public press, of the death by a boat accident of one or two individuals of the above name, natives of Inmsmurray, and to request a prayer fur their eternal repose. Th< principal indus ry of Innibmurray is fidhing and with the pnmitive means of fishing at their disposal, an Innismurray man can earn about a shilling p,-r rfum—thia ip, when the settled state of the weather will permit their going to sea in their frail craft, They supplement tishiug by catching lobsters in wicker

cages or boxe9 made for the purpose, a device resembling a large birdcage ; aod also by kelp-making. Agriculture is only a secoadary occupation, and, from the wretched patches of oats and potatoes, and the an 1 more wre ched sample of wheat, and even mangolds, which we sa^, farming on Innißmurray must be a highly unremunerative 8[ ecu! i;ion. The fields for crop and pasture lie in the south-eastern corner ..f the island, in the portion cleared of stones for the building of the cashel and the religious houses. All the rest of the island is a rugged common with little of herbage, and that of the coarsest kind. The largest farm contains about ten acres, and belongs to " King " O'Her..ghty, its former rent of £5 having been reduced by the Land Comnrssion to £2 os ; the rents of the others being reduced in like pnportion. A few cows and young cattle of the poorest quality, together with some sheep and donkeys, constitute their entire stock. They manure their crops with seaweed which can be had in abundance, yet. m iking allowance for all this, the poor patches of crop which we saw afford the clearest proof of the utter barrenness of the soil, and, consequently, of the desperate struggle those simple-minded and industrious people must have to procure the merest necessities of life. The potatoes, too, were quite 83ft and badly-tasted, and as this was at a time when potatoes were an excellent crop on the mainland. what must not tbe condition of the poor islandeis around our coast be at present when the potato crop is almost a total failure ? Innismurray is situated at the mouth of Donegal Bay, in line with Ben Bulbea in Sligo, and Slieve League in Donegal. About a mile to the north of it lies a range of reefs in great part visible at low water, the highest elevation of which is called Bowmore, and on its summit stands the remains of a building which in ages past may have been the residence of some recluse to whom the retirement of Innismarray was not sufficiently remote and solitary. This hidden island is about the same size as Innismurray, and, with tbe latter, contributes much to shelter the Bay of Donegal from the oceaa storms. About five miles south of Innismurray is the lonely harbour of Streedagh, near the village of Grange; while northward, and about ten miles distant, Teelin Bay nestles under the overarching shadow of Slieve League, in Donegal.

Without its ecclesiastical remains Innismurray would present bat very faint »tr.raction, indeed. In 1880 the Boird of Public works undertook tbe renovation of those structures, and it is much to be regre ted that Pertain changes altogether out of harmony with tbe origin il design of those buildings were introduced ; \et, making all due allowance for such exceptions, the tout ensemble of this monastic establishment is, in its main features, unchanged, and presents us with the finest example now extant of an early monastic retreat. A colossal will or cashel varying from tea to fifteen feet high, by from seven to eight feet in thickness, surrounds, in a somewhat circular fashion, the cluster of monastic buildings which it shelters and guards— the space enclosed by this cashel being only about one half acre in extent. By a low and narrow entrance, capable of admitting but one at a time, we made our way into ihe sacred precincts of Sc. Mueredach's or St. Molaisi'a religious foundation ; we subsequently found that there are two or three other entrances in the boundary wall, but so low and confined as to be practically passable. The chief structures withta the auhel are three churches, two of which are roofless, while the smallest of the three — as it U the most ancient and interesting— is stone roofed, anl is called after the name of its founder and patron, St. Molaise's Church. This latter measures twelve feet long, eight wide, and ten high; and it contains besides the altar, under which the remains of " Ki?hop Molash " repose, an oaken effijy of the saint— hfc-sue— and, notwithstanding its ruthless mutilation and disfigurement, yet preserving in a remarkable degree the outline, feature.-, and habit of an early recluse. The hea i is crowned with the coronal tonsure ; the habit is highcollared, and hangs in close fitting aod gracefully farmed folds, and the hands are raised in an attitude of preaching or ma ructing. Vandals, whose names yet live in tbe execration ol the people of the locality, on visiting "'he island in the evildajs happily now past, vented their fanatical spleen O'i this atatne. They broke off Us bands, cut off the head, di-figure i the face, and ho lowed out the back of the statue in the f jrm of a boar, to that it mi^h 1 float away on tbe waves, into which they cast it. But, marvellous to tell, it drifted back to 9hore again, wb^re the islauders pick ad it up, and enshrined it ence moie with living hands in Us former pisition on tbe saint's tomb in Teampul Molaise. In tuia little oratory of St. Molaise the islanders Assemble i.n Sundays and holidays io recite their prayers and tell their beads wnen stress of weather hiaders them from hearing Mass in the chapel of Grange, on the mainland. The other churches are called Teamvul-na Fear, i,c , the Men's Church, also styled the Monastery. It measures seventeen by twelve feet. While the best preserved cnurcb. of i he three is name! Teampul- na- lei nid, or church of tire, so called from a straoge legend about a flag m the centre of its floor ha. ing the extraordinary property of rekindling fire m tbe event of tbe fires vii the island being extinguished. In its dimensions it c osely corresponds with T<ampul-iia-Fear, We may account for the existence of three churches within this religious enclosure; by reason of tl., growing popularity of this island home of St. Molaise and h « successors and the increasing numbers that Mocked tuither to follow his rule and mitate ma austerities. Beyond bt. Mulaise's Oratorsstood tr.e kitchjD, anl it is said that the bones of deer and of oth- r animals have been discovered among the debris of that building. In tbe portion of the enc'osure adjoining St. MoUise & Oratory and leampiil-wi-Tftnul time stone cells of beehive pattern dese v. nonce The extra purpose of thos clotjhaun* is njt veiy a;-p»r« ,, but they seem to have been well adapted for the threefold object f prayer, nvdration, and pr.vate peuanc ■. A vaulted passage uo - nected the clogltauns, or cells, with the monastery, and ie is s,ud r it an underground passage aKo led from the monastery to tbe setshn c affording means of escape in case of an attack or foray. The Mona=ti.' School or " Hou^e of Learning, ' deserves clo^-e attention. It i hug" i lo>/htiun, or beehive shaped strucme. Tne bench, upon wh i sat the pupils, and the recess in the wall where were caiefully pr served the books and writing materials of this institution cucic/t

failed not to point out to as. The apartment is lighted by a small window looking westward, and in its interior, underneath, four stone steps, like Bills, enable the light to descend to the very floor of this unique structure. A little to the south of the Monastery School will be seen a spacious stone bench, altar-shaped, on which are laid a number of ova) stones of various eisses, regarding which the Innismurrayites relate many wonderful aneclotes. Within the abbey enclosure may also be observed, but in rather ruinous condition, the remaios of an institution which seems to have been an adjunct of many of our early monastic houses, commonly called a " Sweat House,'*' and closely Teeembling in its objects tbt Turkish bath of our day. Outside the abbey enclosure, ond near the southern coastline, we observe what remains of Teampul Mnire, or the Blessed Tirgin Mary's Church, otherwise called TeampuLna-bhan, or the Women's Church. In its eastern gable will be noticed a very remarkable chancel window, long, narrow, and square-headed. Encircling this church is the cemetery for the women, which has been lately enclosed with a substantial wall by the local Poor Law Board— thua preserving it from the intrusion of cattle and pigs. The men's burying-place is within the Abbey enclosure. A remarkable story relative to the inviolability of that cemetery is told by the islanders with every circumatance to strengthen its tredibilily. They relate how, on a certain occasion, the remains of a female were interred within the abbey enclosure, when, lo 1 next morning the coffin containing her remains was found on the surface of the ground near the newly -made grave. Straightway they buried her in the women's cemetery, in obedience to what they regarded as a manifestation of the will of Providence ; and from that time to the present no female interment has taken place within the abbey enclosure. To those who take an interest in antiquarian studies Innismurray presents a wide field for research. There are several quaintly carved crosses of various patterns and designs which are well worthy of attention. Some of the stones are decorated with a device known as the " Rose of St. Patrick." Two or three of these stonesare hollowed at the top, with stoppers inserted, and their use or purpose forms matter for speculation. The windows, too, will Bupply room for study and comparison. That in St. Molaise's Oratory shows an arch, or angle, at the top, which is suggestive of the Gothic arch in its incipient stage.

All the wfcy round the island, a distance of abont three miles, are arranged at regular intervals, sainta' bads or stations, at which several pilgrims from the mainland, as well &s the islanders, make their devotions on the 15th of August each year. In August, 1889, about two hundred pilgrims joined in the station devotions. The devotions resemble very closely those perf ji mcd at St. Finbarr's retreat in Gougaune Barra, and plso the station exercises of St. Patrick's Purgatory, Lough Derg. The station exercises in Innismurray are very difficult, and must be highly effective as a work of monification. Round this Via Doltrosta we proceeded for some distance, and saw several of the stations, which are dedicated to various saints. On the northern slope of the island Tober-na-Chragh—i.r., the well of fair weathei — was pointed out to us. The tradition of the islanders goes to show that by clearing away all the debris from the outlet of this well, and by praying to God and to the tutelary saint of the well, the blessing of fair weather may be obtained. Our guide told us a Btory in point regarding a fisherman from Teelin, who was detained for weeks on the island by stress of weather. At Toler-na-C^ragh he made his devotions, put to sea, and was almost within reach of skore at Teelin Bay, when, having the termerity to make light of its tutelary saint, he was driven back to Innismurray by a fresh gale that suddenly arise. Here be w-ih forced to abide for a longer period, during which be placated the saint, and ht length reached his friends in safety, being no longer disposed to question the interoepsory power of the patnn of Tnber-na-Cirag7i. About midway between "Btber-na- C6rai)h and the monastery, a well, largely impregnated with iron spa, was shown to us. As it occupies the highest eminence on the island, it furnishes a supply of fresh water to the natives when St. Melaise's well and the other springs on the island are rendered unfit for use, as happens whenever the spray from the sea is drifted over the island during a storm. Lovers of the wild and picturesque will be charmed with the views which miy be obtained from the western extremity of the isle of Muired.ici. Precipitous and lofty cliffy deep caverns, hollowed into the rock by the continuous action of the waves— the greatest of which is Pollnaehantnay, which extends for many yards into the recesses of those caves — a rich and varied assortment of flowers, and rare specimens of ferns, all tend to lend a peculiar and weird charm to this most interesting island.

To the student of ecclesiastical history, Innismurray must present an attractive field for study. For be abode the illustrious St, Columba, Apostle of the Piets, Bfter the disastrous battle of CooldremDy ; and it was in the parish of which Inoismurray is part that St. Molaise pronounced upon him at the Crusg of Ahamlish the sentence of banishment from his native land in penance fur the lives lost on that sanguinary battlefield, and of which bloodshed Columba wes, perhaps unwittingly, the occasion. Here also resided another eminent ecclesias'ic, St. Muiredach, first Bishop and patron of the See of Killala. And we may safely presume that one of the el»ghamis, or cells, to which we have already referred, was his place of ab >de. As the island must have been at that period part of the principality or territory over which he exercised spiritual sway, we may reasonably conjecture that this island, to which be has given name, was his episcopal residence. Having partaken of some refreshments at the " college " on Innismurray, our party, soon af'er five p.m., made for the port, where our boat was moored, and, after bidding a cordial adieu to the kindly nativeß of Innismurray, we made for the lonely harbour of Streeda, near the village of Grange, being favoured by a prosperous and lively breeze. Here our waggon^ ette awaited us, and we reached our quarters at Bundoran at 8 o'clock in the evening, highly delighted with our charming and interesting excursion. Besides the many and peculiar attractions Bundoran possesses as a watering-place and health resort, I believe it can claim to occupy an unrivalled position as the centre of the most varied and attractive scenery in the United Kingdom. The

tourist can map out for himself, takiag Bundoran as a starting-point, excursions for a week, fortnight, or a month, as circumstances nuy enable him, to som.3 of the cnoicast and most beautiful phces of interest in Ireland. An extended tour may be easily organised from Bundoran to the West of Ireland and Conoemara. Sligo, Louth, Gill, the lake and waterfall of Glenvar, Lough Melvin, Ballyshanuoo, Belleek, Louth, Erin, and many other pUcea of scenic attrac ion are within easy reach. The Donegal Highlanders can be easily visited from Bundoran, and even an extended tour of tho North of Ireland, taking in Deny, the Giant's Causeway, and Belfast caa be here organised. |A haudbook of Bundoran describing that delightful resort, and sketching a series of tours through the neighbourhood, with maps and illustrations, would contribute to place Bundoran, I have not the least doubt, in the very forefront of Irish summer resorts. Should my brief description tend to bring into graater notice »he isle of Bt. Muiredach and the many historic sports within easy reach of it, 1 shill consider my holiday spent there a«not altogether misspent time.