IRELAND AT THE ANTIPODES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 30, 16 November 1888, Page 15

IRELAND AT THE ANTIPODES.

An Englishman resident in Boston borrowed, the other day, from a journalist of his acquaintance a sheaf of Australian newspapers. He returned them presently, complaining, '"I wanted Australian papers ; ttcse are all Irish."

He found the Freeman d Sydney appealing to a constituency identical apparently with that of its Dublin namesake ; the Melbourne Advocate and the N Z. Tablet differing little in tone sod temper from United Ireland and the Nation. There was spirited editorial discussion of tbe murder of Mandeville, the Times forgeries against Parnell, the English intrigues at the Vatican. Regular Irish correspondence appeared from Michael Davitt, the Redmonds, and other prominent Nationalists, Local comment and record were largely and necessarily of men of Irish birth or blood ; aa more than onethird of the European population of the Southern Continent are of Irish origin, and prominent in political life, in professional and business circles. The various accents of the 32 counties of Ireland are heard every day in the great seaport of Sydney. N.B.W.

Elsewheic, our astonished English friend read accounts of enthusiastic meetings and large subscriptions for the Evicted Irish Tenants' Fund all the way from Sydney and Timaru, NZ. And on other crowded pages still, the old story of Catholic Ireland's churchbuilders and school-builders wiauing the new land for the old faith ; priests from the Irish missionary colleges constantly landing in the Australian ports, teaching communities, Dot simply of large Irish membership but of unmixed Irish origin — as the Irish Christian Btotheis, Presentation Nuoe, and Sißters of Mercy — training the young Australians not only to love their faith and their birthtand, but to love and work for Ireland. He noted the p r opbecy (f Archbishop Carr, of Melbourne, that Ire'and would have Home Rule within a j ear or two, and the enthusiasm of the auditors of Dr, O'Reilly, the newlj -installed Bishop of r'ort Augusta, Southern Australia (one of the five Irish bishops appointed to the five newlycreated Australian sees) when, following almost oj his profession of faith, he made public adhesion to the lush Home Rule platform.

The Englishman was right. The Australian newspapera are very largely lush. They must be, would they mirror faithfully the Hie of the Australian people.— Pilot.

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