OUR IRISH LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 177, 28 July 1928, Page 10

OUR IRISH LETTER.

THE CHANGES SPIRIT. I>E VALERA AND Til K OATH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ■ LONDON", June 7. Speaking at a garden fete and sale of work at the vicarage, Phibshorougk Road, Dublin, in aid of missionary work and tho parochial needs of All Saints' Church, the Karl of Wick low said that if they had met there ten years ago. •nd were told that their country was going to tie handed over to their Nationalist fellow-countrymen absolutely, would they have anticipated that they would be there that day carrying OH their work in such pleasant conditions? He thought that there would have been very few bold enough to prophesy it. Yet they were met there that afternoon, prosperous enough, and not interfered with. It showed the spirit of Christianity and the sense of justice of the majority of the people of this country. They coubl not do better thai, return thanks to Almightv God and help to keep their churches in the best possible condition. The Oath of Supremacy.

Article 48 ot" the Constitution of the Free State provider that when a petition, signed by the requisite number of voters, is presented to the Dail' calling upon a remedied measure, it must introduce a measure so called for or refer the matter to a plebiscite of the voters. The Government of the Free State could have wiped tifcit out quite easily, hairing a sufficient majority to alwlish Article 48, whieii may prove a mischievous one jn the long run. Anyhow,, Mr. Do Valera caught Mr, Cosgra ve napping and brought in his "initiative" measure- to wipe out the oath of supremacy taken by members of the Dail and the Senate. If the Dail had refused to hear the petition of Mr. De Valera, it would have created a dangerous precedent, but an alternative would have looked like connivance to abolish the Imperial connection. Perhaps it was just as well that Professor Thrifts amendment, which postpaned a decision till the Dail had time to discuss the procedure to be adopted in such case:*, was passed by a majority of 71 to .12 vote*, and as a substantiate motion bv 72 to 02. The labour voto was cast /along with the Fiaftma Fail (De Valeraj party.> Four Languages in Hurley Match. That four languages—lrish, Fiiglish. German and Had Language—were used iu a hurley match between Mecliok and Arduacrusha for. the' County Clare chain l pionship appears in the report of 31 r. •lohn Walsh, who was reftjree oil the occasion, before the Clare Gaelic' Athletic Association last Friday. Mr. Walsh, whoso report was most amusingly rendered, said that quite a. number of the players came on. the field with hurleys which resembled axe handles, and others with hurleys without heads. The languages above quoted were freely used, and some of the AiyJnacrusha players wer% very much anno\vd when he seemed to'be unable to grasp the meaning of BadfcLanguage when used in connection with his refereeing. t»lierwi*e the match was quite a success, tiie only individual to be blamed by everyone being the referee.