A copy of this song, which I have lately seen, begins “Is Air An m-bróice tá an chuilphionn," In Broca dwells the Coolin. The ingenious Miss Balfour has also given a translation of the Maid of Brocah." See her poems, printed 66 in Belfast, 1810. No reader of taste will, it is hoped, be displeased with the following extract: Sweet Virgin of Brocah! though humble thy dwelling, Oh vainly to rival thy blushes pretending, The apple her blossoms in clusters may bring ; From the few beautiful specimens which she has given, it is much to be regretted, that this talented lady had not turned her attention more to the translation of Irish poetry. The field was as ample as the labour was honorable, and she appears to have been eminently qualified to cultivate it with success. ELEANOR O'KIRWAN. The fair subject of this old song was a native of Galway, in the West of Ireland, and descended from one of the well-known "fourteen" families of that ancient town. "Comely Nicholas." Chaoimh Nioclais, mentioned in the original, is the tutelar saint of the place; and the inhabitants boast that before the reformation there were several grand organs, and chapels in his church there, in all of which divine service was frequently celebrated at the same time, accompanied with a great variety of sacred music.-See History of Galway. This song is remarkable for being the composition of the famous harper O'Carrol, mentioned by Clyn, the Annalist, as the first musical performer of the fourteenth century. Every effort to recover the music has proved fruitless. I have been assured that it was well known in Galway, in the last century, but it is supposed to have died with an old musical amateur of the name of French, who resided in that town a few years ago; and thus perished, perhaps, the last known relic of the genius of O'Carrol. The following lively stanzas, addressed to a fair namesake of the young lady celebrated by O'Carrol, have been transcribed from the dictation of a gentleman of her native place. Air múidin A n-dé roimh ghréin go moch, Sneáchtá Agus cáor bhídh Ag cáismirt 'ná scéimh budh bhinne guth cáomh á béil le sult 'I Orpheus do léiz go fa̸on ná toire ;— Bhídh A rámhár-rose réidh már chríostál nám-bra̸on Air sheámáir ghlúis fhéir roimh ghréin go moch ;— 'Y chuirle mo chroidhe! cádí an ghruKim sin ort? The word nét in the second line, though usually so written, should be nemhdhá, compounded of nímh, glow or splendour, and d, for t, an adjective and participial termination, meaning state, being, or condition. THE HUNTER OF BEARHAVEN. The youthful heir of O'Sullivan, Dynast of Bearhaven, in Munster, in one of his hunting excursions towards Conaught, accidentally met and became enamoured of, the beautiful object whose perfections are so vividly delineated in these verses. The fair maiden, is said to have been a member of the noble house of O'Conor. She is described by the bard, as, the "beloved of the Clan Murray,” 'Y í muirne cla̸nná Muined í, under which general appellation were comprehended the aboriginal families of Conaught. The description of her beauty is quite in the strain and style of Arabian poetry.-Hundreds of swains contend for the fair one- Her clear azure eye leads hearts captive-Her sweet glowing lips resemble the rose-She is a precious stone emitting rays, in which various hues alternately combine-She is the delight of the learned-The charmer of young and oldFairest of Eve's daughters-Mirror of generosity, conferring rewards on the sons of song, lucht ceóil-The darling of the bards-The polar star of Slieve Guillen-The white swan of Loch Glin, whose side is like the lily-From her fairness a splendour is reflected-Her golden tresses brighten the sun's ray. They who have particularly studied oriental poetry, may perceive many striking features of resemblance between it and the sentimental song of Ireland. By adequate investigation of this subject, much additional light might be reflected on the early history of the country. WOUNDED BY CUPID'S BURNING DART. . The fabled deities and poetical machinery of Greece and Rome, were but seldom noticed by our ancient bards. They drew on their own internal national resourses for illustration and imagery. Accordingly, we find, Connor the renowned king of Emania, the beauties Deirdre and Blanaid, the famous Finian Heroes, the ærial inhabitants of the hills, Don, Cliona, and a numerous host of other real and imaginary beings, constantly referred to as the classic personages of Irish poetry. The goddess Venus occurs but once or twice throughout all Carolan's songs; and, in our sentimental effusions to the present, she, and her renowned companions, Helen, Cupid, Juno, and Minerva, only are mentioned, and that but very sparingly. Modern bards have made more frequent allusion to them, but in doing so, they have incurred the charge of bad taste, and a departure from the simplicity of their predecessors. The Pagan mythology alluded to, is not suited to the genius of Irish poetry. Many a production, otherwise faultless, has been spoiled by the introduction of scenes and names foreign to the feelings and language of the country. In some of these, the poets, not satisfied that the subjects of their praise should outshine our native heroines, Blanaid, Deirdre, &c. make them also bear away the palm from the goddesses Juno, Pallas, Venus, &c.- Do thug tú bláith ná séad leat ◊ lúnó, Phallas Agus ó bhénus TK'n t-úbhall 's A chraobh leát go bráth. This is a fault which our ancient bards have rarely committed. Even these of modern date stand excused, by the general practice of the poets of other countries in this respect, until a recent period. In the second line of the first stanza, p. 286, the word ghátháibh, should have been written 3hách. See note 4, p. 108. 1 BLOOMING DEIRDRE. The incident which gave rise to this ballad, is interesting and curious. About the year 1400, Thomas, the sixth earl of Desmond, after the diversion of hunting, having been benighted between Tralee and Newcastle, in the county of Limerick, took up his lodgings at the Abbey of Feale, (now Abbeyfeale,) in the house of William Mac Cormac, owner of the place; who had a beautiful daughter, whose name, according to Lodge and Leland, who relate the circumstance, was Catherine. With this lady the young nobleman became enamoured, and soon after made her his wife. On this occasion, it is said, the present stanzas were composed, by one of the earl's bards. The fair one is addressed under the name of Deirdre, the celebrated Irish heroine of antiquity. In the concluding lines, the powerful and arbitrary chieftain is manifested, for he peremptorily forbids all mankind, even so much as to look at the fair object of his love. The match, however, proved the cause of the earl's ruin. His followers became enraged that he should connect himself with an inferior; and his uncle James, taking advantage of the feeling, drove him from his estate and country, and in 1420, he died of grief in France, where Henry V. King of England, attended his funeral-See History of Limerick, vol. II. p. 91. Mr. Moore has made this story the subject of a sweet song, beginning," By the Fail's wave benighted."-See Desmond's song, Irish Melodies. 2 "Her tutelary power I hail, Tho' like a cavern'd hermit, pale," When this was composed, there were numerous hermitages in Ireland, and the vestiges of many may still be traced. Smith, in his History of Kerry, gives a drawing and |