Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 50, 4 April 1890, Page 9

Irish News.

Antrim. — Dr. Hastings Orossley has resigned his chair as Professor of Greek in the Queen's College, Belfast. Dr. McDowell resigned that chair twelve years since, because of his blindness, Professor Hastings Orossley, who waß appointed hia successor, has had bis eyeß more or less affected for some time past, but matters have not assumed anything like such a serious form as was the case with his predeceßßor.

Armagh.— A strike at Bessbrook mills took place recently which affected 4 000 operatives. Tbe operatives who were the cause of the stoppage of the work are the reelers, who number up to 400 hands, and they claimed an increase of haif a farthing per reel and the abolition of a system of fines which is at present in operation at the mills. The strike was a failure, however, aDd the men returned to work.

Patrick Murphy, engine driver of the train which collided with the runaway carriages of the Sunday school excursion train near Armagh, died on January 6, near Newry, from his injuries. This makes the 88th death.

Carlow.— At the last meeting of the Rathvilly 1.N.L., Rev. John Phelan, P.P., presiding a resolution of confidence in Mr. Parnell (in reference to the O'Shea charge) was passed unanimously.

Clare.— Thomas Bermingham, the la9t of the Coercion prisoners under the famous Vandeleur prosecutions, has been released af ier a nine months' sojourn in Limerick gaol.

On Sunday, January 5, at Kilrush, three renpectable young men belonging to Kilmehill, named Patrick Lillis, Cairol Daly and John Keidy, were prosecuted under the Coercion Act, for " resisting and obstructing the police " at Kilmihill, December 20 last, on the occasion of a demonstration and bonfire in honour of the release of William O'Brien from gaol. Captains Keogh and Welch, R. M.'s, constituted the court. The constabulary evidence was to the effect that the crowd carried tar barrelp through Kilmihill on the night in question. If the tar barrels had been lighted in a field the people would not hav> been interfered with. Sergeant Carew said the young men were well conducted ; one of them was the son of a merchant in Kilmihill, and the others were farmers' sons. He also Baid he he*rd groans for Balfour given by the crowd. Lillis at one point caught hold of a stick which he carried. Tbe chairman, in giving his decision, said though peace had been restored to ibis district, yet the authorities were determined to strenuoußly enforce this Act a 9 they had commenced, and not on political grounds alone, but for the public interest and safety. Patrick Lillis was sent to gaol for a month, and Messrs. Daly and Reidy was given a week's imprisonment each, without hard labour. The prisoners were then removed.

Cork.— Cork County has thus far contributed £5,000 to the Tenants' Defence Fund.

Police shadowing is now carried on at all the fairs in Cork.

The Mayor of Cork &nd the Rev. Canon Harley, Rector of Christ Church, have received from an anonymous friend of the destitute widows and helpless women of Cork £1,000 in bank notes. A representative committee of all nligious denominations has been appointed to distribute the charity.

At the meeting of the Clonakilty Board of Guardians, on January 10, the master reported that an old mendicant, who turned out to be Daniel Hurley, eighty years of age, had died in the house that morning, and after hia death torn scraps of paper were found under his bed. On further search, more torn paper was found, which on examination. and on pasting together was found to be a deposit receipt from the Bank of Ireland, Skibbeieen, for £100.

The eviction syndicate, over which Mr, A. H. Smith-Barry presides, has taken another step towards clearing out the entire body of the Ponsonby tenants who are still in possession of their holdings. Over ninety more tenants against whom ejectment decrees «ere recently obtained have just been served with eviction-made-easy notices constituting them caretakers of their holdings under Section 7of the Land Act of 1887. Besides these tenants, who have been literally deprived of possession of their holding- 1 , numbers of undertenants have also been similarly served with those eviction-made-easy notices. At present there is not a single tenant on this estate in occupation as a teDant, for those who have not already been evicted have been converted into caretakers, and, of course, cannot reap any benefit from their holdings. The wholesale clearances of 2,000 human beings from the homes of their ancestors, and the consequent conversion of a country side, containing fifty square miles, into a wilderness, is expected to take place early in March.

Derry. —The Tenants' Defence League for this county was organised at a grand meeting held in Magherafelt. on January 9. Speeches were made by Messrs. T. M. Healy, M.P., Joho Pinkerloa, M.P., Jeremiah Jordon, M.P., and W. J. Reynolds, M.P. A great number of clergymen were preßint from all parts of the county. The meeting was most enthusiastic and the League will undoubtedly flourish in this county.

Donegal. — Thiß county now has a branch of the Tenants' Defence League. On January 9 a great meeting was held in Letteikenny, at which speeches were made by the Rie;ht Rev. Bishop O'Donnell, Edmnnd Leamy, M.P., Father M'Fadden, and others. The speech of Bishop O'Donnell was a most eloquent and patriotic one. He heartily endorsed the new movement and urged the people to make it a successful one. Th.3 woik of subscription will be immediately begun. Illicit distillation in the Falcarragh district has recently shown itself. The Bißhop of Raphoe and the clergy of the dioce3e are moat strenuous in their exertions to stop ihe demoralising traffic. In another district of the coan'y the police made the largest seizures of wash prepared for distillation found in Glengesh Mountain for many years, the total number of gallons beiog 600. In the adjoining district of Glencolumbkille, seizures are of almoßt daily occurrence.

Down* — The influenza has been spreading in Newry. On January 10 nearly all the constabulary and a great many citizens were afflicted with the disease.

Dublin*— La, Grippe is life in Dublin ; 150 employees in the Gene'al Post Office were down with the disease. There are also many sufferers among the police, amon^ the compositors on the Freeman's Journal, Irish Time/, Mail, Farmer's Gazette, and Thom'a printing establishment, and, indeed, among the citizens generally.

Many summonses Lave been aerved at Anncarthy, Dindrum, for taking part in tho celebration of the anniversary of the Manchester Martyrs, and in the erection of a Memorial Cross on th ;ame occasion.

Lord Chief Baron Palles has been appointed by tt CrowD to fill the vacancy on the senate of the Royal University ceased by the death of Lord Granard. The two other vacancies cons°quent on the death of Dean Neville and of Mr. A. WcMurrough Kavanagh cannot be filled up until the Benate make official notification to the Crown that the vacancies exist.

Fermanagh.— The priests and people of Garrison have sent £50 as a first instalment to the Tenants' Defence Fund.

Forty farmers in the neighbourhood of Enniskilleo, who had been regarded as Orangemen, have joined the I.N.L.

Gal way,— At Loughrea Petty Sessions on January 9, Michael Nielan, an Emergencyman, was prosecuted for having on December 21, 1889, presented a loaded revolver nt John P. McCarthy. In the evidence it was stated that Nielaii and a companion named Dobson were under the influence of liquor on the night in question. He was referred to by one of the parties present in the public house as the person who seized his cattle. An altercation ensued, in the course of which, according to evidence for the prosecution, Nielan produced a revolver and threatened Mr. McCarthy. Beveral efforts were made to wrench the weapon from the Emergency man 'a grasp. Mr. McCarthy finally succeeded in doing so. Nielan swore that he had no revolver, but that he picked it up when it fell from Dobson. Tbe bench dismissed the case and also a cr >ss case brought by Nielan.

Kerry. — A thunderbolt struck the residence of a Mrs Sullivan, at Minard, broke in through the roof, and killed Mrs Sullivan's niece, a girl eighteen years oirt. Mrs Sullivan herself was burned. After shattering tha press and cupboard the bolt finally made its wiy out under the door, tumbled down an outhouse and killed some sheep and cows.

Decrees for possession have been granted Mr R. P. Blennerhassett against sevei \\ of his tenants in the Cahirciveea district.

A board has been put up by some party or parties unknown changing the name of Nelson street, Tralee, to William O'Brien street.

Kildare.— At the Naas Q uarter Sessions' Judge Darley made an order for committal of four of the Clongorey tenants for disobedience of a previous order of the court to removecertain Plan of Campaign huts from their holdings the committal order being stayed for one week. His Honour also heard sixteen fair rent cases, and remarked that the condition of these tenants was very wretched, and he did not see how they could pay their rents if the right of cutting and selling tin f were taken f r om th^m. Evidence was heard at considerable length, and the judge docided that the tenants had the ripht of turbary attached to their holdings, and fixed judicial rents on this basis, the aggregate of the old rents being £46 14s 7d, and of tbe new £36 9s Gd.

L,eitrini.— The Carrick-on- Shannon Guardians, at the meeting on January 9, unanimously condemned in the strong n st manner the unjust increase made in judicial rents fixed in this union in 1885, and also that the reductions made in the rents fixed in '81, '82, and '83 are wholly inadequate.

L,iinerick.— Patrick Beany, who resided at Newtown, Ellard, was found dead in a field near his house recently. He had dropped dead of heart disease while returning from a visit. The body lay in the field for three diys before it was discovered. The deceased, who was a shoemaker, lived in great happiness with another disciple of Crispin, who fell into a legacy of £3000, left him by a relative in Australia. Tbe old pair had a special friendship for each other on account of their both being left alone, their wives bein<* dead and the children having emigrated ; and it ia stated that in six or seven years they succeeded in disposing of tha whole of the money. Beany outlived his departed friend about a year.

LtOUth. — The Drogheda Guardians, at a meeting on January 9, on motion of Mr. John Hutch, adopted a resolution protes ing against the increase of rent put en by Ine Land Commissioners for the coming year, and calling upon the farmers of Ireland to oppose Buch increase in a determine i and unite! manner. The resolution was passed.

Uleatll. — The Navan Town Commissioners have adopted a vote of perfect confidence in Mr. Parnell.

Queen's County.— The Stradbally I.N.L.,at a recent meeting, passed a vote of confidence in Mr. Parnell.

SligfO* — There is a prospect of a woollen manufactory being established in Bligo. A preliminary meeting of gentlemen interesting themselves in the project was held on January 9, ia the Town Hall, Sligo.

Tipperary. — Tipperary town is announced '• to be let." Mr. Smith- Barry has caused placards to be posted on each of the evicted houses in the town, as follows : "To be let, pending redemption. Apply to the Smith-Barry Estate Office." The tenants on the Smith-Barry estate, residing near Cordangan Manor, the Tipperary residence of the agent, H. H. Townsend, have been served with "eviction made-easy" notices, forwarded to them by registered letter. The notices served on the tenants mentioned set forth : "On the posting of this notice the persons to whom it is addressed being in possession of any part of the landa are deemed to be in posaeseion

as caretakers ; and the service of this notice operates in the same manner as if tbe decree of ejectment had been executed against them, aDd as if having been removed from possession, they had been reinstated as caretakers."

Several shopkeepers in Tipperary received on January 9 writs for rent claimed by Smith-Barry. Upwards of 150 ejectment processes are being filled up by Sessional Crown Solicitor Nolan. These will take in every tenant on the estate in town and country not previously evicted. The cases are to come on at Cashel QQuartt t Sessions early in February. No defences will be entered. Mr. I\ P. Gill, M.P., visited the town on January 9, and was thoroughly please 3 with the progress of the new buildings for the evicted tenants.

On January 9, a boy named Michael Brennock was released from Clonmel Gaol, after an incarceration of three months, to which he was sentenced in last October, at Tipperary, by Messrs. Meldon and Irwin, B.M.s, on a bogus charge of riot. He had been, a few days previously, sentenced to two months' imprisonment in default of giving bail on aoother charge, but Mr Meldon, in making out the warrants for hie committal, stated, in reply to Brennock's solicitor, that " both sentences, as a matter of course, would run concurrently." On the day of bis release, however, he was met at the gaol gates by Head-Constable Donnelly, Clonmel, and again thrust into prison to serve the two months or bail sentence. This action on the part of the authorities, and especially in view of what Mr. Meldon said, and that the " criminal " is a mere boy, 's justly considered mean and disgraceful in the extreme.

Tyrone.— The rumour is revived that Lord Ernest Hamilton is about to vacate his saat for North Tyrone, having, as it is vaguely conveyed, received an Indian appointment. At the general election of '85 Lord Ernest Hamilton headed the poll with 3,345 votes against 2,922 for Mr. John Dillon. At the election in the following year the numbers were for Lord Ernest Hamilton 3,219 and for Mr. Wylie 2,867. Notwithstanding previous defeats the Parncllites will again contest the seat. Among probable Tory candidates mentioned are Lord Frederick Hamilton and Mr. E. T. Herdman, Sion Mills. "Water ford. — At the Lismore Quarter Sessions, on January 9, the appeal of Mr Jeremiah Slatterly, wine merchant, Lismore, against the refusal of the magistrates to renew his license, on the ground that he would not supply a man named O'Donnell with liquor and other goods, came on for hearing. Judge Waters and two justices refused the renewal desired by the appellant. The public interest in the case was very great.

Wexford.— A storm of terrific nature recently passed over the New Ross district, and did considerable damage through the country. In town several chimneys were blown down and many houseß partially stripped. The Barrow burst its banks, and the marshes were covered in many parta with water. Trees were uprooted and fell to the ground.

WickiOW.— A large meeting was held at Ballindarrig, on Sunday, January 5, in furtherance of the interest of the labourers Messrs. E. Leamy and D. Crilly, M.P.'s, attended, and several clergymen were present. Resolutions were passed expressing sympathy with the labourer^, and protesting against the action of the Rathdowa Guardians in obstructing the erection of labourers' cottages. A resolution of confidence in Mr Parnell was passed.