local - Sligo Poets

   Sligo Nationalist 20 March 1915
The Scenes around Dear Enniscrone.

To the fort just below Carrowhubbock
    Once with a friend I did stray,
To get a small share of the breezes
    That sweep o’er Killala’s broad bay.
The sun was then in its zenith,
    And danced on the silvery foam,
Making, as ’twere, a new Eden
    Of the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

When we got to the fort we just halted,
    And together we looked all around
On the charming creations of nature
    Which in millions did truly abound,
We were thus contemplating the scenery,
    When I thought I heard a moan,
And a voice say: "I see you are gazing
    On the scenes around dear Enniscrone."

We looked around and there all before us
    An old man stood straight on the green:
His hair was beginning to turn—
    Perhaps full sixty summers he’d seen.
I saw he was joval and talkative—
    I was sight-seeing from home,
And I came to see for my own self
    The scenes around dear Enniscrone.

"Well," says he, "as you’re a stranger,
    And I am a native of her,
I’ll show you some sights in particular,
    And I’m sure that those sights have no peer.
Now, we’ll look to the east to begin with,
    And loss of time you won’t bemoan,
For there’s naught in the world to equal
    The scenes around dear Enniscrone.

"Rathlee is the name of that place there
    ’Tis the home of the poet, ‘Willie John,’
Who wrote against graziers and landlords,
    And, thank God, he now sees they are gone.
The place to the right there is Easky,
    In history the place is well known.
There our fathers oft fought ’gainst the Saxon,
    And drove them from dear Enniscrone.

"Now follow the line of my finger
    To the mountains of fair Donegal—
The mountains of Teelin they call them—
    Where many brave heroes did fall.
Between us and them lies Bundoran
    To all tourists the place is well known,
’Tis the next in the list most enchanting
    Of the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

"Now look to the right over yonder,
    In Leitrim are those mountains you see.
Near them is O’Rourke’s ancient castle
    That’s mentioned in our history.
There Dermot met rich Devorgilla
    And stole her away from her home,
Thus causing the cruel invader
    To set foot around dear Enniscrone.

"Loch Gill lies right there where we’re watching,
    The ‘Killarney of Connaught’ ’twas styled
In a poem which appeared in the ‘Nationalist’—
    Sure the heart of the poet it beguiled.
You should go there when you are at leisure
    If for pleasure you again do roam
Sure Loch Gill will add to the beauty
    Of  the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

"Now we’ll look to the left o’er the waters
    That’s sleeping so quietly to-day,
And in spirit go back to the landing
    Of the French on this beautiful bay.
Though storms and trials beset them
    As they sailed to our help o’er the foam,
They found in this bay a safe anchorage
    Near the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

There beyond at the point of Kilcummin
    Brave Humbert arrived for our sake,
Took part in the ‘Castlebar Races,’
    While below him fled General Lake
But the French, to our loss, were outnumbered
    While on sea with more help was Wolfe Tone,
So the Yeomen again worked destruction
    In the scene around dear Enniscrone.

"That village beyond is Rathlacken,
    In which are sixty dwellings or more
Exposed to the ozone-laden breezes
    That gently blow in from the shore.
See the historic town of Killala,
    With its tower looking back sad and lone,
To the days when as freemen our fathers
    Viewed the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

"Now we’ll look to the West—there is Nephin,
    To the South we will give a glance too,
And we’ll follow the range of the Ox hills,
    All robed in a heathery hue.
But I fear I’ve delayed you too long, sir
    You may be in a push to get home."
"Oh, no! my dear man, ’tis a pleasure
    To look around dear Enniscrone.

"I’m thankful," said I, "for your kindness,
    I feel much indebted to thee
For all you have so kindly shown us—
    Those sights I have long wished to see.
Whenever again I’m at leisure,
    If in search of nice scenery I roam
I’ll come with my friend here beside me
    To look around dear Enniscrone."

"Yes," mournfully answered the old man,
    "I’ve lived in this place many years,
And the thoughts of the days of my childhood
    Are accompanied by fast-growing tears.
I love all these scenes I have shown you,
    In Carrowhubbuck there is my home,
Nothing but death me can sever
    From the scenes around dear Enniscrone.

                             PATRICK FLANNELLY.
Carrowcastle, Bonniecolon.