Irish Giants.

that they are beyond what is set forth in ancient or modern history . The ingenious and judicious who have honoured them Avith their company have bestowed on them the most lavish encomiums , and on their departure have expressed their sineerest admiration and deli ght . In short , the sight of them is

more than the mind can conceive , the tongue express , or pencil delineate , and stands Avithout a parallel in this or any other country . ' Take them for all in all , Ave scarce shall look upon their like again . ' Prices of admission for ladies and gentlemen , 2 s . Gd . ; tradesmen , Is . ; ancl servants in livery , 6 d . "

Amongst the Sloane MSS . in the British Museum , we find the subjoined certificate : — " I , James Paris , have seen in Loudon an Irishmau , born near Dublin , Avho was seven feet eleven inches high , without his shoes or anything upon his head . Each of his shoes weighed three pounds two ounces . I saAV one of his

shoes measured , which was one foot three inches long , and ten inches Avide . One of his shoes held two quarts of water , and about half a pint over . " Also , "I . James Paris , saw a Avoman in Ireland , in 1696 , Avho was born at Portrush , not far from the wonderful Causeway , in the most northern part of Ireland . She

was then twenty-three years old , and stood seven feet high Avithout shoes or head clothes , very well shaped , Avith a very handsome face . In the year 1701 she was at Montpellier , in Languedoc , in France , at the time of the fair , where I saAV her again , being shown for money , as she had been before in London . Inot

, knowing she was the same I had seen five years before , ancl though I was something disguised by a periwig , which I did not AA'ear in London , she remembered me perfectly well , aud told me Avhen and where I had seen her . "

In the Daily Advertiser of January the 31 st , 1753 , we find this announcement : — " Just arrived in this city from Ireland , Cornelius M'Grath , the youth mentioned lately in the newspapers as the most extraordinary production in nature . lie is alloAved by the nobility and gentry , who daily resort to see him , to have the

most stupendous ancl gigautic form , although only a boy , and is the only representative in the Avorld of the ancient and magnificent giants of that kingdom . He is seven feet three inches in height , Avithout shoes . His Avrist measures a quarter of a yard and an inch He greatly surpasses Cajauus , the Swede , in the just

proportion of his limbs , and is the truest and best proportioned figure ever seen . He Avas sixteen years of age the 10 th of last March ; and is to be seen at the Peacock , at Charing Cross , from eight in the morning till ten at ni ght . " Patrick Cotterborn in Irelandin 1761 was said

, , , to be eight feet seven inches in height ; his hand , from the commencement of the palm to the extremity of the middle finger , measured twelve inches , and his shoe Avas more thau a foot aud a half long . He died in September , 1806 , in his forty-sixth year .

Charles Byrne , or O'Brien , the celebrated Irish giant , died in June , 17 S 3 , in Cockspur-street , Chariugcross , aged twenty-tAvo . His death Avas said to have been precipitated by excessive drinking , to AA'hich he was always addicted , but more particularly after the unfortunate loss of all his property , saved from the profits of exhibiting himself , and Avhich he had simply vested iu a single bank note of £ 700 . Iu his

Irish Giants.

last moments he requested that his remains might be thrown into the sea , in order that his bones should be removed far beyond the reach of the chirurgical fraternity . Inconsequence of this the body Avas put ou board a vessel , conveyed to the DOAVUS , and sunk in twenty fathoms of water . Mr . Byrne , about the month of August 1780 measured exactleight feet ;

, , y in stature he gained two inches after that period , and when dead his full length was eig ht feet four inches . The daily papers of June 4 th , 17 S 3 , contained the following paragraph : — "Yesterday morning the body of Charles Byrne , the famous Irish giant , Avas carried to Margatein order to be thrown into the seaand

, , sunk in twenty fathoms of water , agreeably to his OAVU request , he having been assured that the surgeons would anatomise him . " A few days later the Public Ledger contradicted the above statement thus : — ' Died , Charles Byrne , the Irish giant . Dr . Hunter purchased his body . The skeleton is in his museum .

His death Avas occasioned by drinking to console himself for the loss of a large sum of money . His height Avas eight feet ten inches . " It is quite certain that the skeleton of Byrne , or O'Brien , is in thellunterian collection of the College of Surgeons , Lincoln ' s-Inn-Fields , where any one may satisfy himself of the

fact by Avalking in as he passes by . James Clancy , another celebrated Irish giant , was born near Arklow , in the county of Wicklow , 1812 . He Avas seven feet two inches and-a-half high ; his middle finger measured five inches aud-a-half in length ; the palm of his hand four inches ; aud from

the carpus to the end of the middle finger , nine inches and-a-half . Clancy was exhibited at Camberwell Fair in 1832 , and at Bartholomew Fair in 1832 and 1833 . They said he had grown two inches Avithin the preceding twelve months . He Avas a youug man of tolerable education , and A'ery communicative , but appeared in bad health , arising probably from continual confinement and Avaut of exercise .

From all these statements AA ' may collect that giants are not of much practical use in the Avorking world , except to be exhibited as objects of curiosity or scientific inquiry . They are neither long-lived , numerous , prolific , nor savage ; and the social system is not likely to be disturbed or unhinged by their occasional appearance . —Lublin University .

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TIIE ROHAN : AVALI , OP LONDON . —A remnant of the Roman wall of Londan has been exposed to view by the repairing of a house in Castle . street , Falcon-square . The fragment that remains appears to be a portion of a tower in the Avail , ns the loophole , with its iron bar remains . On referring to an able paper on Roman London , hy Mr . G . L . Crailt , in Knight's

" London , " the tower at this point is shown in tho map . Mr . Craik , in describing the course of the wall , says , after referring to the remnant at Cripplegate , " From this point the line of the Avail turns to the south , and a portion of it , extending in that direction , also remains , dividing the churchyard from the houses in Mugwell ( Monlnvell ) street , nearly parallel to which it has

continued its course , passing by the back of Barber ' s Hall , the front of which is in Mugwell-street , and then descending rather more than half way down the back of Noble-street , when it turned again to the west , and was carried across Aldersgatestreot , " & c ; The portion that remains is in the rear of Barber ' s Hull .