LIFE IN IRELAND 275 



was hanged on a rail laid from one tree to another 

 over the road : the post or rail still remains, and the 

 sign of the ha?iging mafi is conspicuously dependent 

 therefrom. 



In the centre of the garden is a large fishpond, and 

 beyond that a cock-pit, fine and large, well roped 

 round, and strewed with coal-dust from the smithy. 



There was assembled all the blackguards in Dublin, 

 and amongst them came Sir Shawn O'Dogherty, 

 Brian Boru, and the Lord Luff of Ireland; to which 

 we may add Major Grammachree, whose wooden leg 

 stumped on with more than usual vivacity. 



Plase your Excell — ency, said Darby, we are after 

 pitting two prime game cocks, one from the county of 

 Galway, and one from the county of Wicklow. I 'm 

 for the Galway boy, said Brian, and will bet two to 

 one on his head. Done, said his Grace, as he handled 

 the yellow, I '11 take you — the Wicklow for me. 



Bob Toughrags and Bill Bleareye were feeders and 

 handlers : the ring was formed, and the game grounded. 

 There was the devil's work to do ; every rawboned 

 rascal in Dublin was on the edge of the cords, and a 

 fivepenny and tenpenny wager was heard on all sides. 

 No respect was here paid to persons, all were made 



equal ; and the Lord Lieutenant heard himself d d 



for putting his elbow in the side of a blacklegs as coolly 

 as if he had been a coward ; and that all the world 

 knows he is not, for he can either burn the priming, or 

 tip the knuckles with any one in existence. 



The battle was good, and ere long the Galway gained 

 the victory, and spurred the Wicklow down to the 

 ground — no more to rise: this was great joy to our 



