Identifier: famouscitiesofir00gwyn (find matches)
Title: The famous cities of Ireland
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Gwynn, Stephen Lucius, 1864-1950
Subjects: Cities and towns
Publisher: Dublin, Maunsel & Co., New York, The Macmillan Co.
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ed his verdict. It was no commonmurder; the law of hospitality had been outraged;and the murdered man was, in a sense, a public guest;the honour of the whole town was involved. James Lynch had gone to Spain to advance theinterest of Galway; he had brought back the Spanishlad to cement commercial ties with friendship, andthis was the end. He pronounced judgment accord-ing to the law. Then began entreaty, and whenentreaty failed, it was the turn of threats. Themother, a Blake, ran to her own people, made themraise their faction to effect a rescue, and to intimidatewhen they could not persuade. As the father accom-panied his son from the prison, where father andson had together received the Sacrament, a mobsurrounded the escort; the armed men gave way, but 8o THE FAMOUS CITIES OF IRELAND ch the Mayor led his prisoner upstairs from the street,and brought him out into full view of the crowd,which now threatened his own death. Undismayed,there in the sight of all, he himself did the duty to
Text Appearing After Image:
- LyncJis Castle: which no other man in the town would put his hand.Then he stood for a few moments awaiting whatmight happen to himself; but that fell courage hadstupefied all beholders. He went back to his ownhouse unmolested—never, it is said, to be seen out- Ill GALWAY 81 side its door again. Who, indeed, could doubt butthat a man so clear in his interpretation of what layupon him must understand that such a deed cut offthe doer of it for ever from the common ties of theworld? a mystery of horror would cling about him,palpable as he walked the streets. The memorial slab, with deaths head and crossbones in black marble, erected by some descendantLynch six generations later, in 1624, at the spot ofthe execution, was not needed to keep alive thememory of so tragic justice. Yet by a strange ironypublic remembrance has perverted the very essenceof that deed. James Lynch Fitzstephen, who hangedhis own son against the clamour of a mob, executedthe law without respect of person; but the

Note About Images