Shanid Castle. Gerald Griffin (1803-1840). Shannon, the River. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. 1876-79. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes. Ireland: Vol. V

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Ireland: Vol. V. 1876–79.

Shannon, the River

Shanid Castle

Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)

Few landscapes on a calm and sunny evening present a scene of sweet and solemn beauty exceeding that of the little island of Scattery, or Iniscatha, near the mouth of the Shannon, with its lofty round tower and the ruins of its numerous churches, said to have been founded by St. Sinon or Senanus, one of the brightest ornaments of the ancient Irish church.

ON Shannon side the day is closing fair,
The kern sits musing by his shieling low,
And marks, beyond the lonely hills of Clare,
Blue, rimmed with gold, the clouds of sunset glow.
Hush in that sun the wide-spread waters flow,	5
Returning warm the day’s departing smile;
Along the sunny highland pacing slow
The keyriaght 1 lingers with his herd the while,
And bells are tolling faint from far Saint Sinon’s isle.

O loved shore! with softest memories twined,	10
Sweet fall the summer on thy margin fair!
And peace come whispering, like a morning wind,
Dear thoughts of love to every bosom there!
The horrid wreck and driving storm forbear
Thy smiling strand, nor oft the accents swell	15
Along thy hills of grief or heart-wrung care;
But heaven look down upon each lowly dell,
And bless thee for the joys I yet remember well! * * * * *

Note 1. Herdsman. [back]

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