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| TOWN OF LIFFORD, COUNTY DONEGAL.-Lifford, although of some antiquity, is not among the particularly noted towns of Ireland, in a martial sense, though, otherwise, it occupies quite a respectable place in Irish annals. It is situated on the left bank of the beautiful river Foyle, is rugged and not remarkably fertile. Notwithstanding this drawback, Lifford is, for the most part, a well built and apparently thriving burgh, although like most Irish places of its kind, it has suffered a diminution of population during the last fifty years. In the days when it was considered proper, by "enterprising" young men, to abduct girls who had, or were supposed to have, "neat fortunes of their own," that is, toward the end of the last century, while yet abduction was a capital offense, Lifford became celebrated in a street ballad, which is still well known throughout Ireland, and opens thus: I am a bould, undaunted youth-my name is John McCann- For the staling of an heiress, I lie in Lifford jail, I'm a native of sweet Donegal, convaynient to Strabane! An' her father swears he'll hang me, for his daughter, Mary Nale! According to our best information, "the irate father" in this case was successful. |
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