THE IRISH CAPITAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 90, 16 January 1875, Page 11

THE IRISH CAPITAL.

Built in the naidst of a fertile plain, fronting upon its superb bay,, there are but few cities in the -world that can boast of a finer situation than the Irish capital. Neither are there many that can vie it in the beauty of its streets and squares, the magnificence of its public building, the variety of its literary and scientific associations, and the number of its benevolent and charitable institutions. Sackville street is universally acknowledged to be one of the finest streets in Europe. It is about three quarters of a mile in length, and 120 feet in breadth, perfectly straight, with broad side walks, and lined with splendid houses. In the days of the independent (!)• Irish Parliament we arc informed that over thirty peers and double that number of commoners had their residence in this street and as many of these kept a retinue of from twenty to forty servants and spent their incomes with prodigality, it may well be surmised that the houses now occupied by thrifty shopkeepers, presented a somewhat different appearance in the days when Grattan thundered out his demand for independence in the College Green, backed by the " moral force " of 100,000 bayonets in the hands of the volunteers, with Napper Tandy's artillery audaciously labelled — "O Lord, open thou our lips, and our lips, and our mouths shall sound forth thy praise." Well those events took place befcro that vmsiglitly effigy of Nelson, squinted down on Sackville street, else perhaps the irate Tandy might have been tempted to make a target of the monstrosity which obstructs the most magnificent city panorama in the British Islands. But if any of our readers who have not yet seen Dublin, should visit that city, we would direct them to more interesting localities than even Sackville street or College Green. Let them go to Thomas street, and any person they meet there will point out the s^)t where the dogs licked up the blood that flowed from the headless bldy of Robert Eniinett. Within a pistol-shot of " where gallant jcrobert died," and on the opposite side of the street, stands the house of Nicholas Murphy, T he feather merchant, in which the gallant " Lord Edward " battled against such fearful odds for life, liberty, and Ireland. Let them then go to the church of St. Michan's, and the sexton will point out the incorruptible corses of "The "Brothers." Should they seek for more mementoes of Ireland's gallant dead, let them visit Glasnevin, where repose in Irish soil the ashes of Curran, O'ConneU and M'Manus, each of whom breathed his last far away in the land of the stranger. But above and before all, let them not forget to visit that beautiful cemetery near Harold's Cross, where, in the vault beneath that splendid statue which the love of his friends and the genius of Ireland's great sculptor contributed to raise, lies the mortal remains of the greatest Irishman this century has produced. \ Thomas Davis.

It is stated that a sou of Charles Dickens has been appointed a policeman in Canada.