Some celebrated Irish beauties of the last century . and Queens of an hour,FitzGerald.) * At this time there were in Ireland three descriptions or grades ofgentlemen. 1. The half mounted. 2. The gentleman every inch of him. 3. Gentlemen to the backbone. The first were the descendants of Cromwells soldiers, who were ad-mitted grudgingly into society; if they were good riders, they werecalled Buckskin Breeches, or Squireens, and had the right to keep thecourse clear at races. The second class were descendants of some of the The Gunnings. 35 Drink was, in Gveiy way, the curso of the whole country
Some celebrated Irish beauties of the last century . and Queens of an hour,FitzGerald.) * At this time there were in Ireland three descriptions or grades ofgentlemen. 1. The half mounted. 2. The gentleman every inch of him. 3. Gentlemen to the backbone. The first were the descendants of Cromwells soldiers, who were ad-mitted grudgingly into society; if they were good riders, they werecalled Buckskin Breeches, or Squireens, and had the right to keep thecourse clear at races. The second class were descendants of some of the The Gunnings. 35 Drink was, in Gveiy way, the curso of the whole country;nine gentlemen in ten were impoverished by the greatquantity of claret, which, from mistaken notions of hospitalityand dignity, they thought it necessary should be drunk intheir houses. Horse racing was such a passion that, in1739, Parliament framed some laws to check, throughoutthe country, the day labourers taking part in this excitingamusement. A like passion for gambling, sporting, drink-ing, cockfighting and dancing prevailed, together with a. JOHN GUXNING. Iude but cordial hospitality, and a genuine love of osten-tation and extravagance. John Gunning was precisely the man described in Youngsvivid picture ; to the last day of his life he was boastful, ex-travagant and pretentious ; he took no thought for the morrow,but, when a lucky stroke of fortune gave him the handlingof a little money, he spent it at once as a gentleman should. old families, whose estates had jiaid forfeit, and whose children hadbeen forced to degrade themselves by taking to a trade or last named were the real old stock who, although reduced, livedon in the family place. D 2 36 Some Celebrated Irish Bemities of Last Centnry. He knew he was pretty safe in contracting debts, as once athome in his native bogs he could defy his creditors to harmhim. The approach of any officer of the law was at once thesignal for the whole countryside to rise, and the unfortunateprocess-server would be hunt
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectwomen, bookyear1895
