50 Ireland: Its Ancient Civilisation and Social Customs. 



Magennis, who was a daughter of the Earl of Tyrone, enter- 

 tained them. They describe her as a very beautiful woman, 

 and they all duly kissed her when leaving. They proceeded lo 

 Downpatrick, and Bodely describes their supper, drink, bedroom, 

 their dinner next day, and all the small details that add such 

 interest to a story of 300 years ago. Reference was next made 

 to the state of Irish society about 100 years ago. Jonah Bar- 

 rington has left some interesting details of the customs of his 

 own times. Speaking about the year 1788, and how the gentry 

 occupied their time, he says they were principally occupied with 

 hunting, but when the ground got hard from continuous frost, 

 and hunting had to be stopped, various modes of killing time 

 were adopted, of which I give the following : — "A lodge near 

 the kennel of his father's hounds was occupied by an old hunts- 

 man, his wife, and nephew, who was whipper-in. To this lodge 

 his brother sent a hogshead of superior claret; a fat cow was 

 killed, skinned, and hung up by the heels. All the windows 

 were closed to exclude the light. One room was filled with 

 straw and numerous blankets, destined for a common bedroom; 

 another was laid off for a kitchen for the use of the servants. 

 Claret, cold, mulled, or buttered was to be the beverage for the 

 whole company. In addition to the cow, already mentioned, 

 chickens, bacon, and bread were the only viands admitted. 

 Two pipers and a fiddler were engaged to attend and enliven 

 the banquet, which was to continue till all the viands were 

 consumed. A number of leading sportsmen were invited, when 

 the festivities commenced, and extended over several days. 

 When they had eaten and drunk to excess they tumbled into 

 the straw, and were covered by a servant with a blanket. 

 When the last drop of claret was finished and the cow reduced 

 to a skeleton, and all the other eatables had vanished, only then 

 did the festivities terminate. The intervals between the meals 

 were enlivened by cock-fighting, and the whole was wound up 

 with a dance, to which all the boys and girls of the neighbour- 

 hood were invited. It was by gross and extravagant living of 

 this sort that the Irish landlords, in the good old times, got 



