Fit as Fiddles and as Hard as Nails

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Augt 24th [1914] Monday

Packed. Jack went off to Glendalough in the morning. I cycled up in evening arriving just as J. was making tea. On the way called in for bread to the hotel. Mr Slifer much annoyed & sorry for himself as two windows had been smashed the evening before, he thought with an idea of frightening the guests, but it seems more probably a demonstration against him as an ‘alien’. He is being naturalized but it will take some time.

Augt 25th

We were much harrowed this morning at the announcement that Namur had fallen yesterday. An absolutely bald announcement by the Press Bureau without a detail. There seems to have been a tremendous & awful battle, the Allies being forced to retire to the French frontier, the British contingent fought magnificently & seems to have repulsed the enemy & more than held their own but had to retire owing to the falling back of the rest of the armies. Awful evening of rain, such downpours. The B. Expeditionary Force seems to have been fighting near Mons.

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Augt 21st [1914] continued

& the large chapel has been blown up so that it may not serve as a landmark! The little cousin confirmed the Menzies account of preparations in Fife. The Aunts left by mail train, sharp shower at Woodenbridge (which they did not have here). Charlie went to drill with volunteers a process which they seem to perform for the most part in the black dark. Jack arrived after supper.

Augt 22nd

Wet afternoon. Mary Tyacke & Nicko turned up. They reported all the Gt. Northern Rlway guarded by soldiers & at least 8 battle-ships at Kingstown. She said feeling in the north was typified by one man who said to her he would rather “be governed by William 2nd than by the Pope & a set of priests”!

Augt 23rd Sunday.

Telegrams posted up at the Post Office said an artillary attack had begun on Namur. Packed most of the afternoon for Glendalough. Mary, Nicko & Johnnie Hudson came to tea. Jack tells us that Paddy at Glendalough reports that it is generally considered in the neighbourhood that the Ulster-men have invited the Germans over!! “& that shows you the kind of people they are”. –

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Augt 20th [1914]

Nice morning, thunder-storm in afternoon. Were expecting Olivers & Sophie J. but too wet. F & B. Oliver turned up at 5 ocl. after the rain stopped. No special news, it seems an ominous pause while one feels sure the battle is gathering. It is said that 50 extra policemen have been drafted into Arklow, wherefore? – There is an appeal in the papers today from Sir Hutchinson Poe urging that Sir E. Carson & Mr. Redmond should meet & see if they cannot come to some agreement of the Irish question so that the present good feeling may be taken advantage of & north & south volunteers may join for the defence of Ireland & the Empire.

Augt 21st

The Germans have entered Brussels, the Belgian army is said to be falling back in Antwerp. The news in general is rather depressing. There is too a feeling of great uneasiness, about the Home Rule question next week. I really do not know what will happen if Mr Redmond puts pressure on the government to have the H.R. bill put on the statute book. Mrs. Bayly & Lady Howarden came in the afternoon, the latter’s only child her son is at the front in the Coldstream guards. She was attractive, very sad poor thing. Sophie Johnston & her cousins then arrived for tea & the former said that she heard from her Aunt at Buncrana that everyone near the sea was made to paint their houses black

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Augt 19th [1914] Wedy

Special solemn service for the War this morning nice special clauses in the Litany & special prayers. Reports of a skirmish in the North Sea but no details. On the way back from Church the sergeant said that it was quite true that 2 Germans were taken yesterday in Arklow. It appears that recently a very smart individual came up from Enniscorthy & set up a little barber’s shop close to Kynoch’s works. No-one dreamed of his being a foreigner. A German arrived in Arklow perhaps from the Norwegian boat & seems to have been drinking, then he went to the barber to borrow a shilling which he peremptorily declined to give him. The man then went to the police barracks & gave himself up as a German saying the barber was German too. This was found to be correct & both were arrested & sent off to Dublin. Charlie went down to drill in the evening after some search he found the volunteers beyond the village They seem to have received him with friendliness. He & V. went to Castle Howard in the afternoon. Sophie’s cousin said Ireland was a much safer place than Scotland which was all being fortified. Lovely day, hot in the afternoon.
The rumour about the Black Watch I am thankful to say is officially denied & is said to be of German origin. Bob Eagar arrived back this morning having been so much delayed on the journey that he had to sleep in Wexford. Austrians defeat by Servians reported.

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Augt 17th [1914] continued

lights had to be out by 8 p.m. & anyone found in the street after 10 ocl. are liable to be shot. Charlie was to have had his first volunteer drill this evening but on returning from Ballyarthur there was no sign of drilling & after inquiries he found there seemed to be none this evening. It does not speak very well for the organization of the corps. This speech by Mr. Redmond reported when he inspected volunteers at Maryborough.

Augt 18th

Lovely day. It is publicly announced today that the expeditionary force has landed without any mishap in France. No special war news. Turkey seems likely to get mixed up in the fray & Japan sent Germany an ultimatum regarding Kiou-chion to [be] answered by Sunday next, said to be equivalent to a declaration of war. Mother & V. & C.W.W. went to Dublin, satisfactory visit to Dr. Mr. O’Duffy very busy doing soldiers’ teeth evidently gratis. He had various tales of German spies Mr. Robinson with whom V. & C.W.W. travelled down reported that he had been addressing meetings in the north & was very sorry at the hot irreconcilable attitude they showed, not trusting or believing in the change of feeling in the south.
The Belgian seat of Government is to be transferred from Brussels to Antwerp. Sad letter from poor Antonia, she had to go through horrid ordeal of reporting as an alien. We hope she may come to us later on.

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Augt 17th [1914] Monday

Nice day but cool. No news in the papers of any definiteness. It seems as if Turkey were not to be trusted & were thimble-rigging about the Goeben & Breslau. In afternoon I drove C.W.W. up to Bally A. for tennis. Mrs B said she heard on very good authority that “the Black Watch had been wiped out“ I earnestly hope it is not so, it is horrible to think what may be going on. One of the people there I think it must have been Miss Hamilton said when coming over by the mail a night or two ago she was first asked “was she an alien?” then told she was travelling at her own risk & as soon as they started from Holyhead all lights were put out & they were left in complete darkness for the crossing. It gives one pause if they consider such precautions necessary in so sheltered a part of the channel. They also had heard a wild tale of a Norwegian boat arriving at Arklow saying she had been chased by two German cruisers, but as some of the crew of the Norwegian vessel were German she was not allowed to come in. – On returning home I found that the Menzies had been giving an extraordinary account of how Edinburgh was completely fortified & entrenched, all the people with flats looking out on the ‘Forth’ dispossessed, all the schools & colleges etc turned into hospitals & many farm-houses in the surrounding country in favourable positions, commandeered & fortified, while in Fife all

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Augt 16th [1914] Sunday continued

horrible. It was the last boat via Rosslare & was 4 hours late starting from there, owing to a large shipment of military stores. Everyone was packed like sardines & at Fishguard they were kept for another hour again in an awful crowd carrying baggage as there was no one to help with it, while spies were looked for. It is supposed that one was found & then everyone was questioned & examined before landing. Finally when Mabel got to London at 5 a.m. (instead of 10 p.m. the night before) there was hardly any luggage to be found & she spent ¾ of an hour hunting before she secured hers. There were to be placards of the latest news at the post office today, but when I inquired they told me the wire was broken & they could not get any messages through. There seems really to be no definite news. It is supposed that the opposing armies are approaching each other & that there will be fighting all along the line from Liege to Belfast more or less with about 1000,000 men engaged on each side. The Germans seem moving on very steadily in spite of checks from the splendid little Belgians & seem to be comparatively near Brussels now. A letter came from Madam Verhoeven yesterday so plucky, though the outlook is a very gloomy one & she says she cannot sell a centimes worth [of lace].

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Aug 14th [1914] Friday

Thunder storm rumbling round. One gets so much “on the stretch” that everything seems ominous & one imagines distant gun firing etc on very little provocation. Cousin E. left by mail. Terrific thunder rain immediately after. When over V. & J went to ask Mrs. Higgins to help about work. She was very kind & promised to assist as well as subscribing for materials on the spot. (I think war was declared with Austria today or last night). There were engagements at Haelin & Ochtan repulsing the Germans

Augt 15th Lovely day very hot.

Aunt Gigi & I drove to Woodenbridge to take message to Olivers. V. & C. went down to the village in the morning & C. enrolled in in volunteer corps. Among other tales, we heard the other day that a German cruiser had been chased into Courtown harbour! & presumeably disarmed there. Jack returned via Glenmalure when supper was well on.

Augt 16th Sunday

There was a special collection for the Prince of Wales’ Fund in Church, also a pastoral read from the Archbishop urging everyone to take these troublesome times in a right spirit of humility & penitence & prayer. Mr. Robinson urged the young men his parishioners to join the volunteers. Jack gave further details of poor Mabel’s journey on Saturday week which seems to have been truly

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Aug 11th [1914]

Nice day. V. & C. went to Woodenbridge by appointment to meet the Olivers. Remount Officers were there & swarms of horses of all kinds & descriptions. £30 & £40 were said to be given for hacks out of the cars & up to £80 for really good beasts, but a great many were disqualified. V. said our Rector was there clad in a very old & disreputable shooting jacket & a pair of riding breeches, topped by a clerical hat, endeavouring to get his parishioners horses sold. The sergeant V. said nearly embraced them & [?Rilului] was unharnessed by him, Burke a small boy, V. & C. with some difficulty in the midst of prancing ramping remounts. She was then “run round” to the cow shed by the small boy the stables being already full. The French are said to have made a dash into Alsace taking Alturich & Mulhausen, but evacuated the latter again very soon. Cousin Edith arrived at 5 p.m. She reported seeing soldiers at Newcastle said to be building fortifications on the shore.

Augt 12th

Lovely glorious day. No special news. A report that the Goeben & Breslau had been bought by Turkey.

Augt 13th. Thursday.

Lovely day. Very hot. V. drove Aunt F. to see Menzies. I went on to Ballyarthur being asked to talk over getting up a working party by Mrs Bayly. Miss Menzie there & full of a talk of a German ship putting typhoid & cholera bacillus into the Edinburgh water supply sent her by her brother that morning. (which I am glad to say has never been confirmed).

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Augt 10th [1914] Monday

Nice day. Aunt G. had not a good night, but seemed better in the evening. J. stayed on to see Cousin Edith tomorrow. In the afternoon M. & I saw Mrs. Murray at the mill who like everyone else was much alarmed of the Germans. She said coming up from Gorey on Saty (I think) the train was full of soldiers who were going to guard the coast at Newcastle, which looks as if there were some idea of this coast requiring looking after. A letter from Connie in the evening saying they had only had a wire & letter from Richard a week ago. They tried to get field glasses & some money to him but he had sailed before they reached him, as he sailed from Devonport they think he must be in the Atlantic. C. overheard on board the mail steamer last Wedy that 3 armies were going over to Belgium next day to be under the French. Not a word of this has got into the papers. The Rosslare & North Wall Steamers take no passengers for the present it is said that the mail is also commandeered. There are rather contradictory reports about Liége the Germans claim that the town has fallen & will be handed down as one of the greatest victories ever known! On the other hand it seems fairly certain that the forts are still holding out. No tidings of the “Goeben” & “Breslau” cruisers, who streamed out of Messina running the gauntlet of British vessels rather than be dismantled.