IRISH LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 19

IRISH LETTER.

t he new governor.

PRINCE'S VISIT TO ULSTER.

EFFECT of tariff war,

(From Our Own Correspondent.) DUBLIN, December 1. %he new Governor-General of the free State, Mr. Donal Buckley, is a retired grocer, a fluent Gaelic speaker, a former member of the Dail, and one of the many who were out in the Easter TCeek of 1016 with de Valera in. that abortive rising. He is a staunch associate of the Free SI to. President, and their policy is bound to be one of mutual agreement. Mr. Buckley took the oath of allegia" co to the King this week in Air. de Valera n official department— although the oath, in theory, anyway, has h eejl abolished. Still, it had *to be taken or the Free State Constitution

would suffer. Mr. Buckley will be known officially as Domhnall Ua Buaclialla—in Gaelic—and he will drop the title of Governor-General and adopt that of Seanasclial. The oath 4 hick Mr. Buckley took was as follows: "I, , do swear that I will well and truly serve His Majesty King George V. in the office of Governor-General of the Irish Free State, so help me God."

Mr. Buckley was born at Maynooth 07 years ago, is a widower with four sons, and in the Easter Week rising was one of the most determined of the party. He was interned for his share in it, and released at the amnesty of Christmas following.

Irish Editor Fined. A remarkable sequel to the recent visit of the Prince of Wales to Belfast was heard in Belfast Summons Court on Monday, when Mr. Sydney Redmond, editor of the "Irish News," Belfast —a Nationalist newspaper —was fined £100 on the charge of having spread false; reports in that organ of November 8 last. The reports were false, misleading, likely to cause disaffection among the civil population of the North, and intended to and likely to prejudice recruiting for the Royal Ulster Constabulary and to interfere with the success of the

Constabulary acting for the preservation of law and order, it was alleged. The charge originated in a letter in the "Irish News" in connection with the Guard of Honour at Stormont, where the Prince was at the opening ceremony.; Referring to the Guard of Honour, the correspondent, who signed himself "A Lover of the Prince," said that the! Guard of Honour should be of soldiers, and not a guard of honour composed of "liars and perjurers," such as is the present intention." It appeared that about 150 of the tallest and finest-looking men in the Royal Ulster Constabulary were selected for' the Guard of Honour, and not one of them was under Oft. These, it was alleged, were referred to as "liars and perjurers." Mr. Mussen, who prosecuted for the Crown, asked for exemplary punishment. Mr. Lowry, K.C., who appeared for Mr. Redmond —who is an English journalist —pleaded that the reference was a general one, and due originally to the mention of a guard of honour of Orangemen—lo,ooo of them, who did line the route on November 16. Major McCallum said that lie and liis' colleague were quite satisfied that an offence had been committed, and announced that a fine of £100 and costs would be imposed in the charge of the

words complained of. Tlie other charges were withdrawn. The Drum the Prince Beat. The big drum of the Johnston Memorial Drumming Club—which is run ill connection with Ballymacash Loyal Orange Lodge, Hillsborough, Co. Down — wliich was beaten by His Royal Highness the I-ibiee of Wales on the night of November Hi last, following his opening of the Northern Parliament Buildings, Belfast —bids fair to become a very valuable article. The intrinsic value of the drum is about £10. On November 17 £500 avrs offered for it. The following dav the offer was increased to £1000, and this week the offer was doubled to £2000 by a private collector. The offer was refused. By permission of the Prince liis portrait is being painted upon the front of the drum. This week, the drum was very heavily insured against destruction or tlieft.

Tariff Reprisals. Free State farmers anywhere near the border of Northern Ireland made most frantic efforts to get cattle over the line into Northern Ireland before the fatal 40 per cent duty came into operation. • Every available train was put into commission and at one siding in Belfast no fewer than 15 specials came

in laden with cattle of all kinds, and it was the same at other northern ports. Thousands of cattle did not get over the line in time; many were seized on the northern side after the expiration of the time limit. The Free State farmers are beginning to learn that there are two sides to a quarrel and that the "war" upon which Mr. De Valera and his Government entered upon so lightly is likely to be a grim one with little'glcry about it.

Meanwhile the Dublin cross-channel steamers lie idle, dock labourer kicking their heels in idleness. The Christmas markets of the Free State farmer and cattle dealer are utterly ruined. It is a terrible state of affairs, which no man could foresee without a feeling of absolute despair. The poor are starving; the bounty system has proved such a burden that it cannot be persisted in.

Ruin to Hoise Breeding. From to-day Irish entries for all race meetings in England will be affected by the duty that has to be paid on all racehorses brought into Great Britain from Ireland. On any racehorse brought into England last night and registered at the Customs only 20 per cent will have to be paid, but from to-day the duty will be 40 per cent. Once the duty has been naid on any particular animal it. is exenpt

from further duty, irrespective of the number of times it is transhipped between Ireland and England. The ovner of any racehorse on which only 20 per cent duty has been paid previously, is, however, now liable to a further 20 per cent to bring the duty up to 40 per cent.

A Curious Legend, A; legend associated with Howth Castle, County Dublin, an ancient building, is recalled by the death announced recently of the occupant of the castle, Commander f aisford-St. Lawrence, aged 70, who succeeded in 1909 to the estates of his uncle, the fourth Earl of Howth, on whose death the family honours became extinct. The legend runs that Granwaile, "Sea Queen of the West," returning from England, called at the castle to find the gates closed against all visitors, and that' the family were dining. Enraged by what she regarded as lack of hospitality, the queen kidnapped the heir, whom she found playing in the grounds. The youth was, however, subsequently restored on a promise by his family that always for the future a vacant chair would be reserved at the dining table for the chance visitor who might call. The undertaking then given has always been faithfully observed by the family and the vacant ch.iir has since awaited an unexpected guest.