IRISH AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 11

IRISH AFFAIRS.

DUBLIN BY-ELECTION. » ' JIM LARKDPS DEFEAT. AEROPLANE TRAGEDY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) DUBLIN, April 12. Ireland is slowly returning to normal. The North Dublin by-election proves that. The vacancy was caused by Mr. Jim Larkin, the Communist, being unseated because the Committee of Privileges found that he was an undischarged bankrupt when elected last October. Notwithstanding this, Larkin went again to the poll in opposition to Mr. Vincent Rice, K.C., the Government candidate, as did Mrs. Kathleen Clark, a Republican, and widow of one of the Easter Week (1916) leaders. The poll was a small one—a little over 50 per cent of the electors took the trouble to vote. Rice topped the poll with 21,374 votes, Mrs. Clark came next with 12,222, while the redoubtable fireeating Jim came out very much at the I foot with a miserable 8232.

Lark in has served notice on the re-, turning officer that the successful candidate, Mr. Rice, and his agent committed a. breach of the Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the circulation of election literature —in which the name of Rice alone was mentioned— and claims the seat.

When Mr. Rice takes his seat—as take it he will despite Larkin's babblings— the Dafl will be complete for the first time in its chequered history, the Fianna Pail deputies having come since last election, swallowed the oath to King George and have since drawn their salaries like other members. Easter Week. The much-talked-of revolt did not come off at Easter. Perhaps, the weather was too wet and cold. There were the usual fiery speeches, which few took notice of, in Dublin, Limerick and elsewhere, and at Belfast some misguided youths ran foul of the law and eight were arrested and let off with a caution.

The only really serious disturbance took place at Belfast following a football match, in which the supporters of the rivals thrashed each other till the Royal Ulster Constabulary drew batons and impartially thwacked 'everybody. Some arms 'and ammunition dumps, alleged to be in readiness for use, were found in the South, but close scrutiny showed them to be merely relies of the bad old days.

Terrible Aeroplane Tragedy.

Much about the same time as the Londonderry tragedy took place a ter- - rible accident occurred* at Dunmurry, near Belfast. An aeroplane of the Ulster Bombing Squadron, Royal Air Force Reserve, piloted by Flying-Officer Stewart Davison, was manoeuvring over that village, when it nose-dived and crashed into the back yard of Mr. W. Fox, Newville, one of the partners of the blouse manufacturing firm of Glasgow, and Fox, Belfast. When- Davison was cut out of the wreckage he was in a sad case, he having received terrible, injuries abouj, the head, and his right leg was broken. At time of mailing, he was in a (hopeless condition. While the wreckage of the plane wa< being removed a child's head was discovered and late- the body. It that of Daphne Fox, the eight-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Fox. The plane killed her while the was playing in the back yard, the head being torn off the body. The Duke of Abereorn, Governor of Ulster, wired hie condolences to the bereaved parents.