MATCHMAKING IN IRELAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 706, 4 January 1910, Page 3

MATCHMAKING IN IRELAND.

' i ■■•^~llis• ; 'delißHtful>booic;'^'B6me;■iife : . , :.in.■ Ireland," just' published, , Mr., ..Robert .Lynd...devotes; a' chapter' to ; the .•matrimonial : customs' , of the peopled "Irbland, 'if ;■ one ■:, can-trust. the.: general belief,.. LV be 'says.-'.'is'a'land; , of ; marriages:.;pf ■convenience;; rather than''of-romance,..; and undoubtedly;- it is : also' a'' land of., happy... marriages.',•.-Hβ'thinks, that: ■there;:,.uas been-a: good" deal of: exaggeration .as .to, the'.;extent.;tp"'which: the 'matchmaking custom, prevails in. Ireland,:and; certainly; there; hasVbeen',with. regard .to; its;evil ;conseo,uences.':,>ln : 'the. old; days .the 'man brought the marriage portion .and'a'certain, part, of it b'ec'ame"the. wifes,-,; ; to ;whom. ; it: was ■ .'secured' K by, ■■a ■ ■ .;■ Married .'Property ; Act, Vmany:: centuries before'.there was such' an -Act in' England.; {Under the.-: present'; 'system'- the? woman i)rings'the : dowry/ and; the man appro-' priates most,:,if.;not, all,; of it, , very.'often usingit t6.;marry.off ;his; sisters. ■■;,;;.;;.;■' ;; Irish.-matchmaking.r:is,a idistinct- institution: ■ ; It- s 'is^not.:an :: unheard-of,'-;thougU : it is an uncommon, thing in rural, Ireland for'a woman" never to; have- seen; the_nian she : is Roing'v.tovmarfy at her '.father's house "to /take ■ .;awayy. the ■'dowry.' -.The''; marriage is frequently ranged 7 reference .tastes laridff wishes/;,"Her father.,'rcomea home-one 1 evening, arid tells her that he has'-got-a'husband for. her,.and;she can but.,wait.-in. : ;patienc'e.;and; wonder:..tiU tne young., mail , .' calls. \; ■,; ;- •.■■'.'• v<: : ; ';■'. : -'--. : .-- -'■ - :'. Money'is -often.. a rare ; and:. precious ;th'ihg.;to."a,young-:,farmer.:.' (Is,;,ftis<the. case .in ■ Ireland .albnef)! l . llll ";since , ,it:- is the: , 'custom;'to,, give' 'dowries, amarriage without-a , dowry/would, se'om'to'r.him-to be; lacking, in' one of its .most-agreeable; ■incidents.■Hβ does-not;feel,that he ls.oe-; littling either" himself "or ;the .wqman.'yhe; ■marries'in-giving ■preference:,tb; girls;in proportion-;to/vthe"'fortunes,, they,'bring;. The* Irish'■ are: beyond:. most/people,,lovers' of "personal , -beauty; Still itis .often said, that-a'plain'woman'with-a Wt\of money has •a <' better i./chance.'. of -a : good;; marriage, thani a- handsome woman: with "none.■./;._ : : ' : Many-'girls,-''knowing .'-the , ;''demands;, of ljdsbands.'-doinot -wait '. for ? their'fathers; to'make-matches , for• them. , ■ They,■ go;,out :to'-America>or ! dlsewhere;''.and slave",and for'ape•'till^'they"; have'-a;;little ytreasure few years.after.their, de-, parture = they:.'appear v.in■;■. their-:; ; ;.natiye, parish;again:'''lt soon i-becomes;;;-known that':-'they. -have :: .a. littlevmonpy ;put by, arid-'are- willing .to-settle down '■ should a , suitable ihbme 'be; offered.-'Returned emu gTants/of'.thistkind, are , not JataU. uncommon',in. .Earts;'of.the west.' 'If,a.j girl who';has beenVto; America' ; .finds'.after-,a; month'or';tivb,-';or'a'year or two,'Vof;:Wait/ingV'at:hbme that no, suitable': husband is ■to.6e;!had,'she' : as 'likely, ':as;,nbt-'.packs>up: 'ahdiagain.- steams 'off, for! New il'ork ■ withA'anl lnyincible 'heart.; j, : ;-; ; ;.■'• ; v••■' ::-.".lreland Vis ;-ilargely-: .'a 'country: of Mate 'marriages;'; and, "-. of! few imarriages.;,. Emi-, gratibn'i'has-drained'- tlio'.cpuritry:tOc.au unnatural- degreo...of,'the', ypiing. men/and. w"hb :re'm'ain";ar'o". frequently; .unable.,:.to marry:'until -alT'.the;, exuberance or .life has'i : gone.'out' , 6f-.:them...''lreland, stands thirdvfromJthe/bottom 'm a , list ofythirty, counWes'whpse.'mafriage-rates have .been, 'compared''by, ; the-. Kegis'trrx-General. .of ■England. : '' i lpuriiig.;a.-recent ..periodiof,ten; ■years;' Ireland -has ?. showi:v:an; γ-annual; average. I bf- ! 'only/. feii;people. : 'married -forevery 1000/ of the'■ population. , ; :■'.'■•'. '."- . • A Marriage; :\ t. may: be :saidi' is a''subjeot of 'perpetual among': ,the? farming; class". iiAinong. , other'■ classes•th'ire7 are HeWiVrnarriage: customs'which differentiate ,'lrclaud; from'/England--or -AmeTico.' - 'ilixed;inarriages arje.as-frequent have:seen" either' the-husband or- theOwiW; .takes' the' mixed eloment but of. the: mar-riage'-by'■":becoming-.'converted.to. the .re-, ligjpn:of the-:other.;-; The clergy- at all i clM^s'-''pppbMith«e: : inaili , '-;-..-':/- ; -rt J:;, o:^; , ■:;;■,;,-';■:;/,; ; ;one curibuS'Custom may -be. mentioned. ■If is.conside-rea-the.right thing.in some :.p"ar,ts 'of. Ireland, Lif.you.'.are. gomg-ialpns' : :a^ vi road';; :,with-:-:a:~:;'gun,,^;and;; : meet (a^'i'neVly-marriedr:.'couple, •.'■Vdrmngwon; :s ; tb'" : :fire .:feshot;■■''.■ into ; v ; tl'e" i,'air\Un ; ;.theirV,honbur;:;.':r!:h"a.vc'-:see;n.;ii man, ,6udd(:nly.':catchKup: ; his; ] giin: : itt; ,a : ; publicihouse, wliere ne -waschaving a;d"HK, ana rush skywards;;vwith .■every'sign, pf.'.-.enthusiasm, i when : a by.;. .-■...-;.■ i-iThe -excitements of .days, have, ;lessened i -.during-'tne'<p'aet;ivbentury ,:jm-. a hundred years'; ago 'therecwere still .'.traces, of- something that-looked'like the;custom of : marriage: by; capture in many-country. ; placcsr...',ln'"thei-eightcenth;century., men. ; often''Sought!.girls;:wh'a,: i h'ad. fortunes, by: -forces where-they now.feek'them.by p«ac : ; able persuasion., vln. lßSl:the. Irish ;Par--liamerit had'tb.pass;a;nieasure-for,punish-:ing''thoseiwhq:-"carried ?a.way;;niaydcns that;be'inheritprs;".: and;aicentury-,-lajter abduction" was 'madea capital offence. _. It-:was:easj'-to; break; through;.the,spirit.of the ;la^'? ; Mr . the, :girl:ias"placed'in ; 'frpnt:;pf-the;man,on ;th'e'n6rse bn-which .he'"carried;.h«r off,■she. and:.-not: ; he;;was' ; :fechnically'responsible. :for.th>abductipn.";; .■,;';,;; ,;:; V -;,V7 ;-,;