Recollections of Dublin Castle Q
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Rec olle c tio n s of ’ Dubli n Castle Q o f Dublin Society Recollections of Dublin Castle 9 @ of Dublin Society O F old D — dear, , and dirty ublin Lady Mor ’ - — gan s well known descriptio n I was a denizen So am for forty years and more . I well s versed in all its ways , humour , delusions , and amiable deceits , and might claim to know — it by heart . Dear it was old , certainly and b dilapidated eyond dispute . As to the dirt , it was unimpeachable . No native , however , was known to admit any of these blemishes . It is a pleasant and rather original old oo d find city, where people of g spirits will ' ofi erin plenty to entertain them , but g one enjoyable characteristic in the general spirit “ ” of make-believe (humbug is too coarse a term) which prevails everywhere . The natives I A 206109 8 Recollections of Dublin Castle will maintain against all comers that it is the “ fi nest city going , and that its society is second ” to none , sir . Among themselves even there is a good-natured sort of conspiracy to keep up ” fi ction the , always making believe , as much as the Little Marchioness herself. Where , a my boy, would you see such be utiful faces or ’ ' — ’ — ’ th I rish eyes don t tell me and where ud ’ ’ (this u d is a favourite abbrevi ation) u d find ih you hear such music , or such social tercourse divarshions I , or such general , was all i like the rest , beguiled by th s and i all was l bel eved in it , and it not unti years after I had left that the glamour dissolved . It was thus that we used to ass ure each other that certain persons , trading in a modest sort ofwa y , were merchant princes , my boy that a few professional people were leaders on . of society , and so All this was harmless enough and contributed to the general happi mess . — The chief make believe , however , was Coo rt h the Viceregal Court, or , t at strange , 9 303 of Dublin Society l i nfl uence theatrical insta lation , whose tawdry affected everything in the place down to the commonest little tradesman , or to the Castle ” was waiter, whose service it a great comfort to secure , even at a higher fee . As I look back across this long stretch of a years , to what were really very jocund d ys , one scene rises before me which seems highly si nificant n g , and which fur ishes a sort of key note for the various things that I am about l to reca l . It was at a concert in Dublin ’ ” at Th Ancient Concert Rooms . An u s English friend was staying With , and , s k not without pride , we promi ed to ta e him to a Philharmonic concert , supposed to be highly fashionable and exclusive because ” was his Excellency and his Court to attend . ’ ” Th Ancient Concert Rooms was a rather shabby tenement in Brunswick Street , about the size and proportions of a moderate Dis senting chapel ; but it justly boasted that it ” finest was the thing of the kind in Ireland , ” B u l or aubli , as the gentee er ones strove to Recollections of Dublin Castle it u sound . (There were always n mbers of " fi nest things that were the in Ireland , “ particularly that fi ne animal the horse . ) We had scarce seated ourselves in “ the reserved seats ” (little is worth having in this city unless it be res erved for you and not or f others) , when suddenly there came a fl uster bustle and a . Every one rose to his feet ; there were agitated cries of Here he ! ’ 1" is He s coming and half a dozen men , carrying white wands , appeared , struggling their way along a very narrow gangway . A - - dapper looking , clerk like man came last, s . i wearing a tar, following the stewards Th s TH E LOR D I E U TE NA NT was L , or the Lord ” Li tnant f , as he was usually spoken of by He the crowd . came along bowing and smiling , and trying to be as gracious as — he could . Following him were the aides de “ ” eduko n s camp , or g , supercilious young men , with blue silk facings to their coats — e offi ce sure and certain s al of their , all the blue being reverenced , even to but 9 $ of Dublin Society — prostration , by the society of Dublin behind e whom glided a numb r of limp , faded dames , some veterans , attired in garments as faded — “ as their person s the Ladies of the House ” — hold wives of the secretaries , or ancients who were passed on from Government to who firml fixed Government , and grew more y as years went on . It was entertaining to see how the suite behaved , with what an air of pride, and at the same time of assumed ’ afl abilit y , they moved on in the train , two and two . In the admiring crowds which lined the avenues they would recognise a too friend or acquaintance , and were not i proud to nod . The high offi c al s of the Court were very stem and brusque even . They believed most heartily in the whole fi ti c on . This curious procession was invariably repeated on every public occasion , and was l ever painful y followed by greedy , admiring eyes . Three rows of hard wooden benches rising above each other under the skimpy gallery was the august throne of the Viceregal Recollections of Dublin Castle “ was party . God Save the Queen then u struck p , every eye riveted on the great man and the group about him . That procession used to remind me of those other tag-rag processions which would come on in the grand — Operas those poor limp creatures who walk behind Marguerite of Navarre , or some other “ ” queen , in faded streeling robes . These e high ladies pass d on with a smiling , depre — l t cating air half ashamed , ha f proud of heir position . Well , to return to my Englishman . I noticed that he was gazing through his monocle With unfeigned astonishment and “ I amusement at the show . Dear me he said at last , this is all most astonishing . ! Think of that man in London Why , no a one would turn their he d to look at him . ’ It s most singul ar And so it was . But it was the same everywhere , and on every occasion . Did his carriage stop at a house , eel a crowd gathered , eager almost to f the horses , supposed with the vehicle to be hired 6 9 $ of Dublin Society —a from a London job m ster . There was a story that at one of these concerts, during a very cold season , a black bottle full of hot in water was brought , carried by one of the benefit Viceregal party , for the of one of the young ladies . The tale went about in all ’ sorts of shapes . Wasn t it terrible said “ He an old dame . has grown so besotted with drink that he actually brought in his brandy-bottle With him to the concert The little scene I have been describing is si nificant a g , for the same unme ning adoration permeated every class of society . This theat ri cal make-believe of a Court leavened every thing . Everybody played at this sham am c fir ml be Royalty , and , I onvinced , y lieved it . in , or fancied they did The “ ” Kestle was the cynosure . To be asked " to the Kestle , to know people at the Kestle , or even to know people who knew " people at the Kestle , was Elysium itself The Pinchbeck beings of the Castle s naturally gave themselves great air , often Recollections of Dublin Castle ridiculing those who so venerated them , but would condescend to accept any invitations ff that were humbly o ered . Here they could n star it They were the pure E glish , you w kno , though among them there were a “ ” few who natives , of an inferior caste , and c were treated as su h . These latter had to console themselves with the more obscure circles . Truly, as Thackeray once wrote “ l A Court Ka endar is bad enough , but what is it to a sha m Court Kalendar It was indeed “ said that one dame had been lent a little box - in the Park by a former Lord Lieutenant , beyond the memory of man almost , and had remained ever since , all attempts to dislodge her proving unavailing . The Castle , where this Card King lived , the was a great centre of city . In my child hood , boyhood , youth , manhood , I suppose no word rang out more loudly or more ’ frequently in one s ears , or inspired such an awesome feeling . Often I passed it often “ ” was it . I in There were held the levys , 8 9 $ of Dublin Society ’ ” ’ Pathrick s l draw n rooms , ba ls , dinners , alor e. concerts , and dances g You went from Westmoreland Street—often sounded West more — land Street to the Royal Exchange , a rather stately building , which brought you to “ ” l the steep Cark Hill , Cork Hi l , on the top of which was the awful enclosure . It was rather an imposing place , with a great - gateway and a guard house adjoining , out of which—for what reason Heaven knows a large sort of church steeple rose . But every thing in Dublin is more or less unaccountable . The older churches are mostly without - 124 5 .