IRELAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1382, 25 May 1878, Page 4

IRELAND.

Tho Ballymena Railway was to have been ready for opening in April. The "Lottery" business in Belfast has been effectually put down. Galway is to be made a convict station, and a breakwater will be constructed to Mutton Island by convict labour.

In Ireland the St. Patrick's Day celebration did not pass over without some disturbance. In Belfa9t, Londonderry, Down, patriok, and Lurgan there were various pro* cessions, Home Rule meetings, and other demonstrations, which led to several fights, but the police and military ultimately succeeded in restoring order. In Dublin, the ceremony of relieving guard at the Castle was performed as usual. On the night of March 10th, a party of about fifty men, some of them carrying firearms, entered the houses of several of the farmers of Moyruah, on the property of Mrs Icwin, of Bath Lodge, Sligo, and swore them not to pay any increase of rent, and made them promise not to take any of the land from which s-^me persons had been recently evicted. It appears they were neither masked nor disguised in any way ; but those • who were favoured with their nocturnal visit could not or would not identify them, although, it is said, they called for and got a light in several of the houses. The particulars by mail of the fire, on March 13th, in Messrs Dunville and Com pany's Royal Irish Distillery, Belfast, state that it originated in the still- house, whsre there were five receivers containing large quantities of spirit. This was quickly in names, and the conflagration extended rapidly to the tun-houses adjoining, consuming everything in the shape of buildings and machinery in its devastating course, the entire premises on the south wing of the concern being completely gutted. The damage is estimated at from £70,000 to £80,000The premises were insured.