Howth

CHAPTER XVII.

Howth

We have now reached the district of Sutton, the threshold of Howth. Sutton Railway Station is situated at the narrowest point of the isthmus connecting Howth with the mainland, for it must be remembered that Howth is a land apart, at once a peninsula and a promontory.

The development of Sutton, which comprises the isthmus and the western side of the Hill of Howth, has been quite phenomenal in the last few years. Nor can this be wondered at when we consider its great beauty and its mild climate. The latter is due, to its sheltered position, the 14i11 acting as a barrier to the cold easterly breezes. This side of the Hill recalls the Mediterranean coast of Italy. A road leading to the steep where the village of Sancer once was, passes the little ruined Church and Well of St. Fintan, who is commemorated on the 17th of February.

The railway and the tram both lead to the town of Howth, where fishing is still the principal occupation of the permanent inhabitants. Both train and tram pass Corr Castle, the remnant of the old residence of the Lords Howth. The harbour, built ninety years ago, at a cost of half a million, soon became a failure as its position was ill-chosen. It is said that it would have been a great success if constructed a little to the eastward in the Bay of Balscadden, which is the Fingallian form Bal (for Bally) a town, and the Irish word for herrings.

The Baths of Howth are situated in Balscadden Bay. The building of Howth Harbour figures humorously in Samuel Lover’s amusing Irish tale, *Barney O’Reardon the Navigator. *The Lighthouse and Lifeboat and Coast Guard Stations are on the Pier.

At a distance of about a mile and a quarter from the harbour is the rocky and picturesque little island of Ireland’s Eye, the property of the Howth family, but formerly belonging to the Archbishops of Dublin. Its form resembles a cone, and it is a kind of natural breakwater to Howth Harbour. The landing-place is at Carrigeen Bay on the western side. The island contains 53 acres 24 perches (Ordnance Survey, 1837) or 58* *acres 3 roods, 5 perches (Ordnance Survey 1877) of wild rocky mountain sheep pasture and tall fern and undergrowth. It is uninhabited, and its only buildings are a Martello Tower [There are Martello Towers at Balbriggan, Skerries, Shenick’s Island, Loughshinny, Rush, Portrane (two), Robertswall, Carrick Hill, Ireland’s Eye, Howth, and also at Sandymount, Williamstown, Seapoint, Kingstown. Sandycove, Bullock. Dalkey Island, Killiney, Shanganagh and Bray.] and the little ruined church said to have been founded in the sixth century.

The old name of the island was Inismacnessain, the island of the sons of Nessan, and three of these holy men, who lived here, were commemorated on the 15th of March. Some of the cliffs of Ireland’s Eye are exceedingly bold and striking in form, suggesting strong fortifications. Carrigeen, Thulla, the Steer and the Rowan Rocks are the names of some of the more remarkable cliffs, islets, and headlands, while one deep inlet, beside the last named rocks, once called the Long Hole, has acquired a new name from a tragedy of which it was the scene more than half a century ago.

The Hill of Howth, as it is popularly called, is one of the limits of Dublin Bay, the other boundary being Sorrento Point at Dalkey, nearly seven miles distant. The old Irish frame was Ben Edair, the hill of Edar, a personal name. The Hill is a conspicuous object for many miles on land and sea. [Howth in Texas is called after this hill] It is the most prominent feature of the North County Dublin. It is a sort of barometer, as may be perceived from the county proverb: “If Howth has a black cap, Fingal may look out.”

The summit of Howth now easily attainable by the tramway constructed by the Great Northern Railway Company, commands a most extensive view, comprising not only the usual Dublin Bay prospect of sea, city and mountains, but also the distant peaked Mourne Mountains in Down more than 60 miles away. Slieve Donard, the highest, may be made out, and the round-topped Slieve Gullion in Armagh, more like the Wicklow Mountains in form. The latter is easily identified because it is some distance away from the Mourne Range. In very favourable circumstances even the sharp summits of the Cambrian Range may be seen on the horizon. It may appear surprising that Wales should be seen from Ireland, but the County Dublin’ coast heights, such as Lambay, Howth, the Three Rock, Killiney and Bray Head, all afford this view in very clear weather at early morning or at sunset.

The top of Snowdon, over three thousand feet high, with the Pass of Llanberis beside it in Carnarvon and Cader Idris, the high mountain in Merioneth, are the most easily discernible of the Welsh Mountains.

The name of Howth is from the Scandinavian Hoved, a head. The Danes have left memorials of their stay in many place-names on the east coast of Ireland, such as Strangford, Carlingford, Lambay (lamb island), Ireland’s Eye, Howth, Dalkey, Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford.

Some of the Howth place-names surpass in singularity those of any other place in this county. Sancer before-mentioned is now called the townland of Censure, an odd Anglicization of an Irish word. Bottle Quay is also on the Sutton side. On the Hill are Cowbooter Lane, Boggeen Lane, Mudoak Rock and, in Howth Castle Demesne, Black Jack’s Well and the Bloody Stream. At the north east angle there is Puck’s Rock, where St. Nessan struck the devil, according to a local legend; the Nose of Howth coming next, the northeast point of the coast.

The Nose is not far from Ireland’s Eye; but the corresponding north-east point of Lambay is also called the Nose. Along the wild bold East Cliff, the following odd names of rocks, bays and headlands succeed each other from north to south; Green Ivy, The Piper’s Gut, (Pifa Gut is a channel in the Farne Islands, England) Highroom Bed, Lough Leven, Gaskin’s Leap and Webb’s Castle Rock. The resemblance of cliffs and rocks to castles has often been noticed.

[Readers of the marvellous analytical stories of Edgar Poe will remember how, in one of them, an investigator identifies the “Bishop’s Hostel” of the cryptogram with Bissop’s Castle, which he discovers to be a wild cliff, containing the Devil’s Seat, on the coast of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.]

In the town of Howth which is still, despite some modern improvements, a fishing village, the picturesque-ruins of the old Collegiate Church, usually but incorrectly styled Howth Abbey, are conspicuous. It may well be said that this building shines by contrast with its surroundings. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

Its architecture is of the Gothic order, which is not common in the County of Dublin. The original foundation is said to have been on Ireland’s Eye, and the transfer was made soon after the Howth family settled here.

Howth Castle, which is seen when approaching from Dublin, and also from the top of the Hill, is a Norman keep of the Middle Ages, modified by some additions in accordance with modern taste. The Castle and Demesne are open to the public on stated days in the summer, when the long old hall, with the armory and Sir Almeric Tristram’s two-handed sword may be inspected.

The rhododendrons in the garden here are quite famous. The founder of the family was the brave Norman knight just mentioned, the companion in arms of the celebrated De Courcy. He settled here in 1177 and defeated some Danes, who then owned Howth, in battle near a mountain stream on the Hill. The lands thus acquired by the sword were confirmed to the family by King John. It is said that Sir Almeric Tristram fought this battle on the 10th of August, the feast of St. Laurence the Martyr, and that he assumed the surname of St. Lawrence, borne by his descendants to this day, in memory of the circumstance.

But this tradition is rendered doubtful by the record of the surname of St. Laurent in France before the Norman Conquest of England, and by its recurrence in Hampshire some years after that event. There is a monument in a Church at Rouen to a Saint Laurens who died in 1560, and, as we are told that Sir Almeric and Courcy had made in a Church in Rouen a romantic compact of chivalry, undertaking to achieve fortune by their swords, it would seem that after all the surname is probably of Norman origin.

On the death of the late Earl of Howth the St. Lawrence property fell to his nephew, Mr. Julian C. Gaisford St. Lawrence of Offington, Sussex. The late peer was fourth Earl and thirtieth Baron. The Earldom dated from 1767, the Barony from 1177, being, perhaps, the oldest title existing. Some books of reference on titled families marked “No heir to earldom,” implying that there was one** **to the barony. One would expect that so ancient a title could not easily die out. The crest in the coat of arms is a sea-lion, the supporters a sea-lion and a mermaid, in allusion probably to the situation of the family possessions. The shield bears two swords in saltire with four roses. The mysterious motto is Qui panse.

Of so old a family there are, as might be expected, many legends. The best known is regarded as quite authentic. In 1575 the celebrated Grace O’Malley, Chieftainess of Burrishoole in Mayo, landed here and found the gates closed during dinner. Indignant at what she considered a want of hospitality, she seized the boy heir of Lord Howth and conveyed him on her galley to her home in Mayo. She returned him only on condition of a promise from Lord Howth that the gates should be left open during dinner in future. This condition was observed until between 80 and 90 years ago. There is a picture in the Castle representing the carrying off of the heir.

Another legend asserts that one of the Lords of Howth was married to a lady of unknown and mysterious origin who was cast ashore by the tide. There is an old tree in the demesne called the St. Lawrence Tree, to which a legend is also attached.

Although Kingstown Harbour superseded Howth as a packet station and place of landing after George IV. had landed here on the 12th of August, 1821, his 59th birthday, Howth has revived its prosperity in another way in our own day. It shares with Clontarf, as has been said, the pleasant distinction of possessing the lowest death-rate in the neighbourhood of Dublin. Many terraces have been built not far from the town, while the finest new houses are springing up on all parts of the Hill.

A stranger revisiting Howth after twenty years would scarcely recognize it for the lonely and primitive place he had previously known. Although much remains to be done, especially in the town, as the old fishing village is called, still there has been wonderful progress. The number of new houses and new roads alone is a good test of this; and hotel accommodation is also greatly improved. There are golf links at Sutton and Portmarnock.

The summit of the Hill is Black Linn, which is 563 feet above the sea. The Hill proper is, of course, the eastern part of the peninsula. This is best seen by traversing the New Path, overhanging the East Cliff and starting from a quarry, not inappropriately named Kilrock. It may be remarked that, beside the ores of lead, copper, and iron, that rare mineral, manganese, is also found here. The New Path conducts to the Bailey Lighthouse on the ever verdant peninsula of the Green Bailey. This was called formerly Dun Criomthain from the name of an Irish king residing here who fought the Romans in Britain. The present lighthouse was built in 1814. The other principal ‘heights of the Hill are the peaked top of Shelmartin, the best point for a good view, and the lower heights of Carrickmore and Carnr’~brack, the latter overhanging The Needles. On the west of the Hill is a Cromlech.

There is no place near Dublin more assured of a prosperous future than Howth. Nor is this wonderful. It is the gem of Fingal; and may even be described as the most beautiful place near Dublin. Here is the great attraction to a citizen of escape from roads, and the still greater of hills, vales and streams, furze, fern, and heather.

Writing 70 years ago the historian of the County said of Howth: “were it within six times the distance from London that it is from Dublin, it would long before this be a diadem of picturesque attraction.” All Irishmen of the present day will acknowledge that it has at last become so.

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