Teach Chumann Tinte Ifrinn

Teach Chlub Tinte Ifrinn sa lá atá inniu ann

Photograph shows the condition of the Hell-Fire club building as it is today.

Teach Chlub Tinte Ifrinn sa lá atá inniu ann

Teach Chlub Tinte Ifrinn sa lá atá inniu ann

Photograph shows the condition of the Hell-Fire club building as it is today.

Enlarge image

Tá an Hell Fire Club le feiceáil go sonrach ar bharr Mountpelier, ceann de shléibhte Bhaile Átha Cliath, atá 383 méadar os cionn na farraige. Bhí tuamba pasáiste ar an mbarr, a tógadh san aois Neoiliteach, go dtí gur baineadh as a chéile é sa bhliain 1725 chun an teach Ifreanda a thógáil.

Ba é William Connolly, duine de na daoine ba shaibhre in Éirinn agus ceann chomhairle na sean-pharlaiminte, a thóg an teach mar theach seilge ar bharr an tsléibhe. Bhí teach mór aige i mBaile Átha Cliath agus pálás faoin dtuaith i mBaile an Chaisleáin, gar do Chill Droichid.

Tar éis dó ballaí an tí seilge a thógáil as clocha an chairn, chuir se díon breá slinne ar a bharr. Nuair a scrios stoirm ghaoithe an díon dúirt muintir na h-áite gurbh é obair an diabhail é, mar chúiteamh ar an gcarn seanda a bhaint as a chéile. Bhí drochcháil ar an áit as sin amach. Thóg Connolly díon boghta cloiche in ionad an dín slinne.

Bhí dhá sheomra móra agus halla ar urlár uachtarach an tí. Bhí lochta beag os cionn an pharlúis agus an halla. Bhí céimeanna suas go dtí doras an halla. Ar leibhéal na talún bhí seomra do na searbhóntaí agus seomraí beaga eile. Bhí na fuinneoga go léir ar an taobh thuaidh den teach agus bhí radharc álainn uathu ar Bhaile Átha Cliath.

Fuair Connolly bás i 1729. Fágadh an teach seilge tréigthe ar feadh tamaill go dtí gur thóg an Hell Fire Club ina seilbh é.

Bunaíodh Clubanna Tinte Ifrinn san ochtú aois déag agus tharraing siad drochcháil orthu féin de bharr mí-iompar agus drabhlás. Bhunaigh Richard Parsons, céad Iarla Rosse, an Cumann Tinte Ifrinn i mBaile Átha Cliath i 1735. Tugtaí 'Rí Ifrinn' ar uachtarán an chumainn. Ghléasadh sé mar Shátan, adharca móra agus sciatháin air agus é crúbscoilte. Bhí sé de nós acu an leas-chathaoir a fhágáil folamh le haghaidh an diabhal agus a shláinte sin a ól ar dtús.

Cuireadh barraíocht óil agus ragairne i leith na gclubanna seo. D'óltaí neart scailtín (meascán fuisce agus im te) le linn cruinnithe an Cumann Tinte Ifrinn. Luaitear sa leabhar Malachi Horan Remembers go mbíodh scailtín i gcónaí ar fáil sa Jobstown Inn.

Insítear scéal eile faoi fheirmeoir óg as Bóthar na Bruíne agus an Cumann Tinte Ifrinn: Le teann fiosrachta chuaigh sé suas an sliabh, oíche amháin, féachaint céard a tharlaíodh ag cruinnithe an chumainn. Tugadh faoi deara é agus mealladh isteach sa teach é le go bhfeicfeadh sé imeachtaí na hoíche. Thángthas air lá arna mhárach agus é ar sheachrán. Bhí mearbhall air agus é ina bhalbhán. Deirtear gur mar sin a chaith sé an chuid eile dá shaol.

An Cat Dubh

Hell-Fire Club cat and Hell-Fire Club punchbowl

Painting shows the rumoured black cat of the Hell-Fire club sitting in the Hell-Fire club's punch bowl

Hell-Fire Club cat and Hell-Fire Club punchbowl

Hell-Fire Club cat and Hell-Fire Club punchbowl

Painting shows the rumoured black cat of the Hell-Fire club sitting in the Hell-Fire club's punch bowl

Enlarge image

Insítear scéalta eile faoin gclub. Ar na scéalta sin tá ceann faoi chat dubh.

Bhí fear óg ar saoire i dteach feirme i gcomharsanacht an chluib, tráth. Theastaigh uaidh an teach ifreanda a iniúchadh. D'imigh sé leis. Thángthas ar a chorp an lá dar gcionn. Bhí an fear óg ina luí, béal faoi, i gcaise sléibhe. Bhí an feirmeoir, lena raibh sé ag fanacht, den tuairim gur dúnmharaíodh é. D'iarr sé ar shagart dul in éineacht leis go dt an Hell-Fire Club. Nuair a shroich siad an club bhí an clapsholas ann.

Bhuail siad ar an doras. D'oscail fear ard, a raibh clóca dubh air é. Chuaigh siad isteach sa teach agus sracadh isteach sa seomra bí iad. Bhí féasta ar tí tosnú agus brúdh an bheirt acu isteach i gcathaoireacha.

Fad is a bhí sé seo ar siúl, shiúil cat dubh maorga go h-uaibhreach isteach sa seomra. Shuigh sé ag ceann an bhoird. Thug an sagart faoi deara nach raibh cluasa an chait ina seasamh ar a chloigeann mar ba chóir. Bhí siad ina luí ar dhá thaobh a chinn fhíochmhair. Bhí nimh sna súile aige don sagart. D'éirigh an sagart agus chuaigh i dtreo an dorais. Rugadh greim air agus cuireadh ar ais sa chathaoir é. Chuimhnigh sé go raibh buidéal uisce coisricthe aige ina phóca. Theilg sé an buidéal i dtreo an chait agus, ag an am céanna, d'aithris paidir eacsaircisteach amach ós ard.

Go tobann, bhí an áit ina chíor thuathail. Cloiseadh scréach uafásach, scanraitheach ón bhfeirmeoir. Lean an sagart air ag guí, go dtí gur chuir boladh sulfair agus deataigh iachall air imeacht as an teach. Fuair sé an feirmeoir roimhe ar an dtalamh taobh amuigh. Bhí a aghaidh agus a mhuineál scrabhaithe go dona ag crúba an chait. Níor tháinig an fear chuige féin go hiomlán, riamh, ina dhiaidh sin. Mar a insítear an scéal bhí an teach ifreanda dóite, agus é ina fhothrach, ar bharr an chnoic an mhaidin dar gcionn agus is mar sin atá sé go dtí an lá inniu féin.

The Hell Fire Club

The Hell Fire Club, clearly visible on the skyline of the Dublin Mountains, is undoubtedly the area's most famous landmark. Situated at 1275 feet, near the summit of Mount Pelier, the site was originally a passage tomb. The tomb dates from the Neolithic Period (4500 - 2000 BC) and was constructed within a circle of large boulders known as a cairn.

Speaker Connolly built the house on Mount Pelier Hill in 1725. Connolly was one of the wealthiest men in Ireland; he had a Dublin house in Capel Street and a country estate at Castletown, near Celbridge. He constructed the club as a hunting lodge. Connolly is said to have destroyed the cairn while building the hunting lodge, making use of the boulders in its construction. Some time later the roof, which originally was slated, was blown off in a great storm. Locals attributed this misfortune to the work of the devil, in revenge for the destruction of the cairn. Following this event the lodge was seen locally as a place of evil. However Connolly replaced the slated roof with an arched one of stone.

The building consisted of two large rooms and a hall on the upper floor. A small loft was over the parlour and hall. The hall door was reached by a flight of steps. On the ground level was a large kitchen, servants' quarters and a number of small rooms. All the windows faced north, commanding a magnificent view of Dublin.

After Connolly's death in 1729, the Hunting Lodge remained unoccupied for a number of years until it was acquired by the infamous Hell Fire Club, from which it got its name. Hell Fire Clubs were established in the eighteenth century, and were associated with outrageous behaviour and depravity.

Richard Parsons, the first Earl of Rosse, established the Hell-Fire Club in Dublin in 1735. The president of the Hell Fire Club was named 'The King of Hell' and was dressed like Satan, with horns, wings and cloven hooves. One custom was that of leaving the vice-chair unoccupied for the devil - in whose honour the first toast was always drunk.

The Clubs became associated with excessive drinking. Scaltheen, a drink made from whiskey and butter was served in abundance during meetings of the Hell Fire Club. Malachi Horan, in the book, Malachi Horan Remembers, says how they always had scaltheen ready at the Jobstown Inn.

Another story about the club concerns a young Bohernabreena farmer, who curious to find out what went on at the meetings, climbed up Mount Pelier one night. He was found by the members of the Club, dragged into the building and allowed to see the nights' activities. He was found the next morning wandering around the area, unable to speak and tradition says he spent the rest of his life deaf and dumb, unable even to remember his name.

The Black Cat at the Hell Fire Club

There were other stories about the club: one such story concerned a black cat. A young visitor to a local farmhouse insisted on going to investigate the Hell Fire Club. He was found dead the next day, lying face down in a mountain stream. His host believed that the boy had been murdered, and he asked a clergyman to accompany him up to the Hell Fire Club. When they got to the club, darkness was falling.

They knocked on the door, and it was opened by a tall black-cloaked man. When they entered the house, they were immediately grabbed from behind and hustled into the dining room. A banquet was about to begin, so the two men were pushed into chairs.

A majestic looking black cat stalked into the room and took his place at the head of the table. The priest noticed that the ears of the cat were not erect, but lying like horns at either side of the fierce looking head. The wide, deep eyes glared hatred at the clergyman, who rose to his feet, intending to leave the devilish assembly. He was grabbed and pushed back into his chair. Realising that he had a small bottle of holy water in his pocket, he threw it with all possible force at the cat, while, at the same time, he recited the prayer of exorcism.

Chaos erupted, but in the midst of it all, could be heard the terrified screams of the farmer. The priest continued to pray until the smell of sulphur and smoke forced him to leave the house. Outside he found the farmer lying on the ground, his face and neck deeply scratched by strong claws. The poor man never completely recovered. According to legend, the next morning, the burned out Hell Fire Club stood a ruin on the hill-top, as it does today.