Identifier: talessketchesill00carlrich (find matches)
Title: Tales and sketches, illustrating the character, usages, traditions, sports and pastimes of the Irish peasantry
Year: 1845 (1840s)
Authors: Carleton, William, 1794-1869
Subjects: Peasantry -- Ireland
Publisher: Dublin : J. Duffy
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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so silly as to 14 MICKEY MROREY. think that ui^ht or day had any difference to a man whocould not see. Thus passed the hfe of Mickey MRorey, and thus pass thehves of most of his class, serenely and happily. As the sailorto his ship, the sportsman to his gun, so is the fiddler attachedto his fiddle. His hopes and pleasures, though limited, arefull. His heart is necessarily light, for he comes in contactwith the best and brightest side of life and nature; and theconsequence is, that then mild and mellow lights are reflectedon and from himself. I am ignorant whether poor Mickey isdead or not; but I dare say he forgets the boy to whose youngspirit he communicated so much dehght, and who often dancedwith a buoyant and careless heart to the pleasant notes ofhis fiddle. Mickey MKorey, farewell I Whether living ordead, peace be with you. * * Mickey, who is still living, remembers the writer of this well, and felt very much flattered on hearing the above notice of himself read W. C, 1845. p ¥
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BUCKRAM-BACK, THE COUNTRY DANCING-MASTER. In those racy old times, when the manners and usages ofIrishmen were more simple and pastoral than they are atpresent, dancing was cultivated as one of the chief amusementsof life, and the dancing-master looked upon as a person es-sentially necessary to the proper enjoyment of our nationalrecreation. Of all the amusements peculiar to our population,dancing is by far the most important, although certainly muchless so now than it has been, even within our own memory.In Ireland it may be considered as a very just indication ofthe spirit and character of the people; so much so, that it wouldbe extremly difficult to find any test so significant of the Irishheart, and its varied impulses, as the dance, when contemplatedin its most comprehensive spirit. In the first place, no peopledance so well as the Irish, and for the best reason in the world,as we shall show. Dancing, every one must admit, althougha most dehghtful amusement, is not a simple, nor

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