Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 182, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1911 — MIDSHIPMAN BRENNER WRITES OF IRELAND. [ARTICLE]

MIDSHIPMAN BRENNER WRITES OF IRELAND.

Visits Blarney Castle; Kisses- the Famous Stone and Also Pays Visit To Lakes of Klllarney.

Jim Brenner, son of Mrs. -Carrie Brenner, will reach home the last of this month or the first of next for a thirty day vacation from his studies in the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. He has been on a summer cruise since the first of June and will come here as soon as he returns to America. Jim has written some very interesting letters to his mother since he started out on the enfise and she has kindly consented that excerpts from them he printed in The Republican. On June 22nd he wrote from Queenstown, Ireland, saying: “Everything is runiting nicely on board; we are getting plenty of liberty and enjoying a good time. Monday we had to stay on board *and stand watch while the other three sections went ashore. The watches are divided when we are in port so that we get three days’ liberty and one day’s duty out of every four. This is a great deal better than last year’s system when it was almost impossible to get a full day on shore. Tuesday we went to Cork, which is about .20 miles from here, is a typical Irish city of about 150,000 population and a very clean little place. There is not much of interest in the town except the hotels and restaurants, which are naturally great drawing cards and the larger ones are crowded all during liberty hours with hungry midshipmen. “ ‘The Bells of Shannon’ drew a large bunch of sightseers the first day and they were well repaid for their visit. The sexton was kept busy nearly all day playing the popular tunes and taking our good money, which seemed to flow from a young mint, In his mind. In the afternoon we took a trip to Blarnefy Castle and incidentally kissed the “blarney stone.” The trip out there is made in an Irish jaunting car, which resembles an American pony cart. The scenery on the way is typical of old Ireland —beautiful in the extreme. Everything is under cultivation and presents a rich green background of hills and vegetation to the faint streak of brown along the walls which border the macadam roads. The castle is probably the most noted one in the world and few people visit the continent without journeying to Ireland to visit the scene of its traditions. Blarney castle ia now a ruin and is fast falling away from its vast stone proportions of a few decades ago. The ‘blarney stone’ Is at the top of the castle and forms the top piece for the frame of a window. A large hole has been cut through the roof and large iron rods fastened against the side of the wall so that access to the stone may be had by holding on to the bars, face toward the sky and allowing two persons to let you down by holding you by the ankles. It ia a very ticklish sensation and a great many lose their nerve and do not kiss it. Paul Searles was about the most scared man I have ever seen. He tried twice before he succeeded and #hen he did he looked more like a ghost than a tourist. As you bend yoor head to kiss the stone you look down about 200 feet to the ground and the feeling that creeps over one is anything but pleasant. “The next day we took a personally conducted tour to Klllarney under the guidance of a Thomas Cook man. Everything jyas well arranged and we had a very pleasant day except for an occasional shower and chilly weather. The town Is about 60 miles from here and on arriving we Immediately went to the hotel where a lunch was awaiting us. After this we started our sightseeing trip and took a carriage to the lakes where we were transferred to boats and rowed from one end of the lake to the other. This is about a 14-mile ride and the return trip was made by carriages, which gave us an opportunity to see additional sights. It would be impossible for me to describe the beauty of these lakes and the pleasure we derived from the trip, so I shall hot even attempt it. “Today is the big day In all English ports and everything is dressed for the occasion—the coronation of the king. The Irish are not very loyal to the king on account of restrictions and taxes that are placed on them, but they all tom out for the holiday as it Is a day when they do not have to labor. Our ships are all full dressed in honor of the king and there la nothing doing on board but lay aroptnd, so most everyone is ashore. "Tomorrow we coal ship; a big day for us, you know. Eat coal dUBt like we enjoyed it; then the next day ashore and we forget all about it” This concluded Jim’s letter from Quqenstown and the next letter from which we quote was written on July Conttnaad on Page Four.