The Kingdom of Dalkey.

Chapter XI.

The Kingdom of Dalkey - The “Dalkey Gazette” - T. O’Meara.

Among the singular societies which have existed in Ireland within the last 90 years, was the “Kingdom of Dalkey, and its Officers.” It was then common, in forming associations, serious or convivial, to adopt, instead of the plebeian name of “club,” some more high-sounding title. A society of gentlemen, who established a court of honour to suppress duelling, by the contradictory expedient of making themselves such excellent swordsmen that all others would be afraid to fight with them, called themselves the “Knights of Tara.” They originally named themselves the Knights of St. Patrick; but on the institution of that illustrious Order, in 1783, by the Crown, the anti-duellists changed their title. The latter illustrious Order (of Knights of St. Patrick) was founded in compliment to the national feeling, after the establishment of the independence of the Irish legislature. A little later in date, but in retrospective commemoration of the same great event, was founded the kingdom of Dalkey.

The kingdom of Dalkey consisted of a small island, which lies on the south side of the bay of Dublin, opposite the now populous town bearing the same name. The district then presented a very different appearance from what it does now. There were then no railroads, no taverns, no cottages, no villas, scarcely even a fisherman’s cabin, on the solitary shore. One small tavern stood on a promontory at Dunleary, occasionally visited by collegians on a Sunday for breakfast, where the primitive fare supplied was a wash-hand basin of sea-gull and other eggs, and a large dish of fried flounders. With the exception of this eccentric hostelry, and the two little collections of cabins then forming** **the towns of Dalkey and Dunleary, the entire was a deserted waste, till the traveller returned to the Blackrock, then the Ultima Thule of the Dublin citizens.

The part immediately opposite the island was called “Dalkey Stone Common;” and the ground, which is now rented at the foot, was then tenanted by the acre by a few roaming asses. It would be difficult to find any two places presenting so great a contrast as “Dalkey as it was,” even so short a time since, and “Dalkey as it is.”

Dalkey is not, however, without its historic recollections, but of a much more ancient period than its royal state. On the island there are the remains of a small chapel, dedicated to its patron saint, St Benedict [Sic. KF.]. The chapel has been in ruins for many centuries. About it were formerly some kistvaens, or stone coffins, and human hones, of which they had been the receptacles. From its seclusion, and the communication with the mainland being cut off by Dalkey Sound, it was selected as a safe retreat during the epidemic diseases which formerly ravaged Ireland.

In the great plague, which visited Dublin in 1575, the citizens retreated there, and the island was covered with the tents of the refugees while the sickness continued. From the shelter afforded by the island, Dalkey was anciently thought a commodious substitute for a harbour; and several eminent persons are recorded to have landed or embarked there. Sir A. St. Leger, Lord Deputy, in 1540, and Sir W. Skeffington, in 1534, on their way to Dublin; and in 1414, Sir John Talbot, afterwards Lord Furnival, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, landed there. In 1558, Lord Sussex embarked there to oppose the Scottish invaders at Rathlin, on the coast of Antrim.

There are several ruined castles - the castles of Bullock - in the immediate neighbourhood; and when they were built the place must have been of some importance. It had a charter, and there were markets; held there about the year 1500, and the castles were intended as stores to protect the merchandise from pirates; but for centuries the castles have been ruins, and, since 1600, the trading town of Dalkey dwindled into a few miserable fishermen’s huts. There was formerly established, at some distance inland, the Dalkey cotton-factory, which was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, cotton-factory worked in Ireland. It belonged to a Mr. Costelloe, but was burned down in 1781.

Notwithstanding its historic recollections, the shore was, until within the last 50 years, the most secluded and desolate part of the bay of Dublin; and the little uninhabited island, of course, still more solitary. Its only inhabitants were a few wild rabbits, until it was colonized by the Irish government, in 1804, with a couple of artillerymen.

In the summer of 1797, when the descent of the French on Bantry Bay was generally expected, rumours of their having actually landed were constantly going abroad. The papers in opposition to the Government ridiculed and made light of the alarm. Among the popular squibs published with this object, were cautions against their making a descent on Dalkey, and a proposal to fortify the island to prevent their landing, and Bagotrath Castle to intercept their march to Dublin. The latter was a ruined castle at the end of Baggot-street, the government of which was a sinecure office. The writer of the squib little thought that his proposal would be seriously acted on by the Irish Parliament. Bagotrath Castle has been pulled down, and its place is occupied by a handsome street: but the island of Dalkey has been actually fortified to defend us against the French, and an absurd martello tower and battery stand there to this day. They form an agreeable fishing-lodge for a few artillerymen, and a depot of plates for pic-nic parties on the island; but are not likely ever to answer any more useful object.

The convivial society, of which the King of Dalkey was the president, was carried on with a degree of spirit, and attracted a portion of public attention not easily imagined in the present tame state of society. They met once in each year on the island. The king was elective, and the professed object of the visit was that he might resign his crown into the hands of his subjects, and a new election be had. There was a paper then published in Dublin called *The Morning Post, or Dublin Courant. *It was printed by a man named Cooney, and devoted a column to the proceedings of the society, under the heading of the “Dalkey Gazette.” The day of the intended ceremony on the island was duly announced in the “Dalkey Gazette,” in the form of a proclamation from the king, and the arrangements and ceremonies to be observed officially advertised by the chamberlain. The party usually proceeded from Dublin by water; and the solitary island and neighbouring shore became a scene of great bustle and gaiety, and were crowded by thousands of spectators.

The day selected was a Sunday in the end of August or beginning of September. The general outline of the proceedings was as follows:- The king landed in state, and was saluted by firing shots on the island. He assembled the most convivial members of the society under the names of his principal officers, and the other guests as his subjects, and, in a mock heroic speech, resigned his crown into their hands, and desired them to elect a successor. A re-election always followed, and his majesty, in a second speech, expressed his gratitude, was anointed with a bottle of whiskey, and crowned among the plaudits of the people. He then received their petitions and complaints, which were tendered and spoken upon with comic gravity.

The members were all of the popular side in politics, and the entire proceeding was made the groundwork for squibs on the political topics of the day. Then followed a sermon from the chief of the Druids and primate of Dalkey, preached in the ruined church, which was called the cathedral of Dalkey. This latter proceeding was often not a little objectionable, in treating with levity sacred subjects. An ode, composed for the occasion, was then sung by all the people, arid the whole ceremony concluded by a feast on the rocks, after which his majesty and his officers of state again embarked in pomp, and were followed by his people.

The last president of this curious society was a convivial Dublin bookseller, named Armitage, who reigned under the title of “King Stephen the First.” There is a cluster of rocks near Dalkey called the Muglins, and another called the Maiden; there are also some small islands - one called Magee, [Island Magee is a peninsula in Antrim, but the name may bare been given to Clontarf Island in Dublin Bay.] in the bay, and the others, Ireland’s Eye and Lambay, on the north of Howth. The king’s title united dignities derived from all these localities, in the following form:-

“His facetious Majesty, Stephen the First, King of Dalkey, Emperor of the Muglins, Prince of the Holy Island of Magee, and Elector of Lambay and Ireland’s Eye, Defender of his own Faith, and respecter of all others, Sovereign of the illustrious Order of the Lobster and Periwinkle.”

Another illustrious member was “My Lord Tokay,” a wine-merchant. The office of primate was filled by a Mr. Gillespie. Besides filling the columns of the “Dalkey Gazette,” the proceedings of the society attracted so much attention, and were considered to be conducted with so much humour and cleverness, that their annual meetings were recorded in most of the Dublin papers among the remarkable news of the day.

The politics of Cooney’s Morning *Post *were very democratic, and the “Dalkey Gazette” of course was of the same tone. Its merit consisted in being a semi-comic record of the proceedings of the society, and in satirizing the political events of the day, by means of this mimic kingdom - much in the style of a Christmas pantomime. It must have been indebted for its popularity greatly to the feelings of its readers, The paper is now difficult to be met with; and we give the following extract as a specimen. It is from the “Dalkey Gazette” of September 10, 1792, and will give an idea of its general character. It appeared in *Cooney’s Post *of September 22.

To understand its point, it is necessary to bear in mind what were the political topics of the day. It was the year of the most violent proceedings in the French revolution. In the preceding month, the king of France had been dethroned, and was then a prisoner in the hands of the Paris populace. Even the most just and rational propositions respecting civil liberty were dreaded by the ultra loyal, as indications of revolutionary principles; and not without reason, as they wore most frequently in the mouths of persons who used them merely as introductory to more dangerous doctrines. The popular topic in Ireland was “Catholic claims;” and the Chancellor, Fitzgibbon, had made himself peculiarly odious to the Roman Catholics, by his declaration that their meetings to petition for a redress of grievances were unconstitutional and illegal. Among other bodies, the Dublin Corporation had also incurred their hostility by its declaration in favour of Protestant ascendency. The radical papers of the day teemed with charges of the corruption of the Government and their subordinates; and some of them - particularly the Morning Post - broadly insinuated that £20,000 of the public money was missing, through the default of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir. J. Parnell. Lord Westmoreland was the Lord Lieutenant; and his parsimony and want of hospitality at the Castle were popular subjects of attack. All these topics appear to have been alluded to at the coronation of his facetious majesty in this year.

The “Gazette” commences with a description in mock heroics of the voyage from Ringsend to Dalkey, during which his Dalkian majesty saluted two ships of his Britannic majesty, which duly returned the compliment. It details the offerings of his majesty’s faithful subjects from Lambay, and the holy knights of Magee, consisting of rabbits, cockles, and mushrooms; and describes the ceremony of the resignation and coronation as follows:-

“His majesty held a levee at the palace, at which were present several of the nobility of the empire, and a great number of illustrious foreigners from Bullock, Dunleary, Howth, and other parts of the neighbouring continent. His majesty then ascended the great rock - the senate-house where the states of the empire were assembled - and being led to the foot of the the throne by the chancellor and primate, and preceded by the lord mayor, as representing the municipality of Dalkey, his majesty declined ascending the royal seat; but, turning round to the assembly, and putting off his royal diadem, he laid it, with his oaken sceptre, on the table, and addressed the assembly:-

“‘My lords, gentlemen, and citizens of Dalkey, I am come this day to commemorate, with my cheerful people, the occasion which raised me to the throne of this realm. I rejoice exceedingly that nothing like hereditary pretensions are quoted in my escutcheon, or ranked among my claims to that dignity, which I hold not as an inheritance from ancestors who attained it by injustice, rapine, and bloodshed, but that I enjoy it by the most honourable of all claims - the choice, confidence, and affections of a free, generous, and people. It is my glory that I love you all, my pride to have you happy, and my joy that you think so. To manifest my sincerity, I wish to establish in the happy constitution of Dalkey the principle which places its liberty and happiness above the power of permanent tyrants, and depositing in the people the controlling discretion,’” &c.

His majesty proceeded in the same strain at some length, and ended by resigning his regal authority, and desiring his subjects to select a successor, concluding with the following sentiment:-

“I am not an advocate for the prerogative of kings against the rights of the race of Adam. My ambition was always to win over your hearts and affections, and not above your liberties.”

“The lord chancellor, in a speech of considerable length, disadvised his majesty from soliciting that which must ever circumscribe the rights attached to the crown of Dalkey, and resigning that ‘penance from power, prerogative, and patronage,’ which his predecessors had maintained with dignity, regardless of the notions of that long-eared mobocracy called the people.”

His majesty made another rather dull political address, and insisted on resigning; after which:-

“The viceroy of Ireland’s Eye, King of Arms, went forth, preceded by a herald, and proclaimed the king’s resignation, and demanded of the people to nominate a king from the great body of the natives whom they would choose to rule over them. The whole, with one voice, named their beloved monarch, Stephen the First. His facetious majesty was then again crowned; and after taking the oaths of festivity and public justice on a bowl of grog, was again proclaimed king.

“Lord Minikin, Keeper of the Tower, by order of his majesty, then went forth, and proclaimed that his majesty, in open senate, was ready to hear the complaints, and grant the just desires of his people.

“A deputation from the Order of the Periwinkle immediately came to the bar of the assembly, and presented articles of impeachment against the lord chancellor-first, for corruption in his official capacity; secondly, for violating the solemn obligations taken when he was appointed one of his facetious majesty’s most honourable privy council; thirdly, mal-administration of justice; fourthly, his late unconstitutional conduct in using undue influence, as a peer of the realm, at a meeting of the Order of the Scallop, to make them declare, contrary to the known laws of the empire, that the members of the Periwinkle had not a right, individually and collectively, to petition the king and senate for a redress of grievances.”

The chancellor makes an affidavit of the absence of several material witnesses, who consist of certain unpopular members of the Dublin Corporation, and his trial is adjourned. An impeachment is then exhibited against Lord Glasthule, Tony Laughable, Lord Mayor of Dalkey, and the Lord Chancellor, as guardians of the realm, for neglecting inquiring into the interior departments of the kingdom, whereby his majesty’s subjects were oppressed, good humour and harmony interrupted, and his majesty’s revenues impaired. The Committee of Finance also exhibited articles of impeachment against the Lords of the Treasury for embezzlement of £20,000, good gingerbread money of the realm.

These are ordered to stand over; and after some more popular speeches on the foundation of a new order called “The Virtuous Citizen,” the festivities are detailed as follows:-

“His majesty retired to a sumptuous banquet; the lord mayor and municipality perambulated the franchises. They were met at Stony-gate by a party of the Liberty boys of Dalkey, who, according to custom, took the sword from his lordship’s sword-bearer. At the great mole his lordship threw the civic dart into the sea, and then returned to the civic hall, and partook of a sumptuous repast in the course of which a plenipotentiary arrived from the Grand Duke of Bullock, with a present of potatoes, ready boiled, which his majesty graciously accepted, and conferred the honour of knighthood on the ambassador.”

Songs were sung, thanks returned, and toasts drank, and the whole concluded with a ball on the island, all of which are detailed in the “Gazette,” in the same mock serious style. The favourite toasts drank on the occasion were such as “May the will of the people be the law of the land;” “Equal liberty, civil and religious, to all sons of Adam,” &c.

This “Gazette” contains a very long political sermon, supposed to be delivered by the primate on the occasion of the coronation. The sermon inculcates many admirable lessons of liberality, generosity, and justice; but the vein of levity with which it imitates sacred doctrines and texts is often very objectionable, to say nothing of the abuse and misrepresentation of the clerical character which it conveys. It seems to be an elaborate composition, and to have been prized by the editor of the *Morning Post *who introduces it twice into his paper, apparently as a serious political article. A considerable part of it is occupied by commendations of hospitality and good fellowship, and condemnations of their opposites, made with obvious allusion to the lord lieutenant. The following may be taken as a specimen:-

“The gay flowrets of cheerfulness, the balm of friendship, the jessamine of taste, the myrtle of love, or the sweet rose of justice, never take root in his dull and barren soul. The rue of envy, the abortive savin of distrust, the rank hemlock of murky avarice, and the deadly nightshade of chill penury, are the native vegetables of that ungenial soil.”

And the following blessing:-

“The blessing of the beggar and the clerk of the crown attend you in all your adventures in this life, and the last prayer of the recorder and of all the judges of the crown circuit attend you in the next.”

In 1790, when political prosecutions were numerous, the Government were not very scrupulous in the means of obtaining evidence. Toler was the solicitor-general, and had gone as a judge of assize, and tried several of the state prisoners. Toler’s well-known failings and the Government policy are noted in the Dalkey proceedings as follows:-

“The second sergeant was accused of making puns from the bench as arguments against the prisoner’s life; but being absent in another kingdom to fight a duel, he could not appear to answer for himself.

“The opinion of the lawyers was, that evidence obtained by force ought not to attaint the blood of any subject of Dalkey.”

The odes composed for these commemorations had various degrees of merit. The following are three verses of the ode of 1793:-

“If sprung from woman, say,

Did you first know the day,

Without a shirt?

Or must you, like the clown,

Spite of your great renown,

Lay your great body down,

Deep in the dirt?

Lord of all Dalkey lands,

Chief of your jovial bands,

Are you not man?

With you though peace doth reign,

Nor blood your isle doth stain,

Nor famine here complain,

Are you not man?

What though the realms rejoice

in your melodious voice:

Kings are but men!

And while each subject sings:

‘God made us men, not kings!’

With echo Dalkey rings:

‘Kings are but men!’”

The last meeting of the society was held on the 20th of August, 1797. It was the year immediately preceding the breaking out of the rebellion, and the gaols were filled with prisoners accused of treason. The greater part of the country was treated as under martial law, and the soldiers were living at free quarters to assist the sheriffs. The United Irishmen were the great object of suspicion to the Government. The mutiny at the ‘Tore had ended only a month previously. The Dalkey meeting appears to have been more loyal than usual. The toasts were, “The King,” “The Army,” &c.

The following is an extract from the ode of the year. It is believed to be from the pen of T. Moore, who was a faithful and most convivial subject of his facetious majesty, and it is interesting as one of Moore’s earliest poetic efforts

“Fail, happy Dalkey, Queen of Isles.

Where justice reigns and freedom smiles.

In Dalkey Justice holds her state,

Unaided by the prison gate

No subjects of King Stephen lie

In loathsome cells, they know not why;

Health, peace, and good humour, in music’s soft strains,

Invite and UNITE us in Dalkey’s wide plains.

“No flimsy sheriff enters here;

No trading justice dare appear;

No soldier asks his comrade whether

The sheriff has yet cleaned his feather;

Our soldiers here deserve the name:

Nor wear a feather they don’t pluck from fame.

“How much unlike those wretched realms,

Where wicked statesmen guide the helms:

Here no first-rate merchants breaking;

Here no first-rate vessels taking;

Here no property is shaking;

Here no shameful peace is making;

Here we snap no apt occasion

On the pretext of invasion;

Here informers get no pensions

To requite their foul inventions;

Here no secret, dark committee

Spreads corruption through tile city;

No place-men or pensioners here are haranguing;

No soldiers are shooting, or sailors are hanging;

No mutiny reigns in the army or fleet -

For our orders are just, our commander discreet.”

In imitation of the order of knighthood, founded by the Government, the king of Dalkey founded the Order of Druids. The president was furnished with a large medallion, representing the bust of one of those mysterious persons, which he wore on state occasions suspended from his neck.

Among the persons who took part in the convivialities of the kingdom of Dalkey, was the celebrated T. O’Meara. As the times became menacing, and Ireland infected with French principles, the Lord Chancellor Glare was vigilant in watching every society which was formed, and among the rest, the kingdom of Dalkey and its Druids attracted his notice. O’Meara was personally known to him, and supposing he could enlighten him, Lord Clare sent for him.

“You, sir,” said the Chancellor, “are, I understand, connected with the kingdom of Dalkey.”

“I am, my lord,” said O’Meara.

“Pray, may I ask what title are you recognised by?”

“I am Duke of Muglins.”

“And what post do you hold under the government?”

“Chief Commissioner of the Revenue.”

“What are your emoluments in right of your office?”

“I am allowed to import ten thousand hogsheads duty free.”

“Hogsheads of what, Mr. Commissioner?”

“Of salt water, my lord.”

The Chancellor was satisfied without further question.

T. O’Meara was an attorney well known at that timd, as many of the same profession were, for his conviviality, spirit, wit, singularity, and good nature.

Among other anecdotes told of him was one very characteristic. An Englishman of rank and fortune visited Ireland, and accidentally met him at dinner at a friend’s house. It was then the hospitable custom for every person who met a stranger at a friend’s house to ask him to dinner, and show him every attention; This was done with more than usual attention by O’Meara, who attached himself to the Englishman, invited him to his house in the country, and in the display of his good nature and sense of hospitality, gave up his time and business to make the visit agreeable and instructive to his acquaintance, who left Ireland with many expressions of obligation, for the kindness and attention he had received.

Soon after, O’Meara for the first time visited London, and being a total stranger there was well pleased to see one day his English acquaintance walking on the other side of Bond-street; so he immediately crossed over, and with outstretched hand declared how delighted he was to see him again. The gentleman was walking with a group of others of a high aristocratic cast, and dressed in the utmost propriety of costume; and when he saw a wild-looking man, with soiled leather breeches, dirty top boots, not over clean linen, nor very close shaven beard, striding up to him, with a whip in his hand and the lash twisted under his arm, he started back, and, with a look of cold surprise, said:

” Sir, you have the advantage of me.”

“I have, sir,” said O’M’eara, looking coolly at him for a moment; “I have, sir, and by ---- I’ll keep it;” and turned from him, casting such a look of contempt and superiority as the other did not think it prudent to notice.

The last anniversary of the kingdom of Dalkey was, as we have mentioned, held in August, 1797.

The concourse of spectators on the shore and island on that occasion was estimated at not less than 20,000. The popular interest excited by the proceedings of the society and its free political sentiments were considered dangerous in the then excited state of the public mind; and to avoid being suppressed by the strong arm of the Government, its meetings were, during the disturbed and alarming crisis of 1798, discontinued, and were never revived.

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