A COLLEGE OF THE DOMINICAN NUNS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 10, 6 July 1894, Page 9

A COLLEGE OF THE DOMINICAN NUNS.

(Abridged from the Dublin Freeman of May 4.)

Yesterday, attended by an exceedingly large number of friends, honoured by the presence cf hii Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, and surrounded by every element calculated to add importance and interest to the event, the distribation of the Archbishop's prizes took place at St Mary's University College, 28 Merrion square. The record of no educational establishment presents a more gratifying series of results achieved in such a remarkably short period. As the very interesting report pointed out, the very first notification of the opening of the college was followed by applications which poured In from all quarters cf Ireland as well as from England and Scotland, and the number who were enabled to enter has gone on increasing. Reference was made in the report to the fact that of the eighty students now on the roll thirty-three are university students from the Matriculation to the M.A. inclusive. The report pointed out that those to whom the examiners awarded prizes had reached the honours standard, and, of course, attention was drawn to the beneficial stimulus given to the students by the generous act of his Grace in bestowing these prizes. The addresses presented to his Grace yesterday by the pupils were of quite a unique character. They were in Latin, English, German, Italian, Greek, French, and Irish, and they were inclosed in a casket of great beauty. The vocal and instrumental musical performance, which lent such special interest to the occasion, was far and away the most perfect thing of the kind that has been presented under similar circumstances in recent years. The violin playing was remarkable, and the tribute paid to the concert by bis Grace and Dr Donnelly only interpreted the feeling of all who had the great privilege of being present. In replying to the addresses the Archbishop alluded to the " Intermediate Education System," explaining how it had been obtained, and the advantages accruing from it, particularly the conditions of religious equality : — "These are amongst the reasons (Said his Grace) why r, for instance, found it possible to comply with the request that came to me from the late Government, that I should become a member of the Board. They are amongst the reasons also why it has been found possible, and not only possible but desirable, to place the work of this college of St Mary's in connection with its system of examinations, as well as with the examination system of the Royal University of Ireland. lam not, of course, going to discuss the question here to-day whether it is desirable or not, that young lady students Bhould have to go through the worry and the strain of those various competetive examinations, whether of the intermediate system or of the Royal University — examinations which so many of you have gone through, and bo many other students of this College will in fnture go through, with such brilliant success. It is not necessary that any such question should come into discussion here. We stand clear of all such controverted points. This College is organised and worked, from first to last, upon the sound and safe principle, that, in a really comprehensive school or college system at the present day, two things have to be provided for. First, the most efficient provision has to be made for the training of those for whom it is desired, whether by themselves if they are competent judges in the case, or by their parents or others whose judgment should be taken into account, that they should pass through the ordeal of the public examinations. In cases where this special training is wished for, it surely would be a sad n flection upon the efficiency of the teaching organisation of the Catholic Cnurch in Ireland if we were to say to those Catholic students—" If you want such things, lawful though they be, we cannot provide you with them ; you must go for them

to Borne Protestant college." But eecondly, the advantagei of a well-ordered echool or college should be no less freely at the disposal of others. Its work should be done, with fqnal efficiency and with equal zeal, for the education of those who come to it, not for tha sake of being prepared to pass an examination with distinction, or to pass an examinationfat all, bui for the purpose of profi-ing to the utmost by the advantages which, nn * r ] HC e of education, i* should be able to place at the service of all-comere, and consequently at tha service of those who may not only value education, as I trust we all dj, for its own sake, but can B fford to dispense with that which to many others ia an almost iniispensable condition of advancement in life— the official testimony of scholarship, that is conveyed by the degree of a bena fide examining university, or by the certificate of some other such public body. We have, as yet, made but a beginning here. Those who are prominently interested in the inaugnration of any great movement are apt perhaps to be a little oversanguine aa to the favour their new work will be received with by the public at large. For my par*, I have to say that, in the present case, the success so far achieved has run far in advance of anything I had anticipated. Twenty students for the first year was my estimate, and already we find eighty on the rolls. As we have just now been engaged in a distribution of prizes, I trust I may take the liberty of saying here to-day that one of the very best waya in which those interested in the work can contribute to its auccew is by the giving of occasional prizes for the College work, or still better by the permanent establishment of such prizes, as has been done elsewhere. In conclusion, one word to the students of the college. On them, perhaps, more than on all others besides, the work of tbia College mast depend for its future progressive and permanent success. They have always to remember that the work, as yet, is but new, and that, as in the case of all new works, there are not a few difficulties in the way. There are misconceptions to be removed , fallacies to be refuted, prejudices to be overcome. I ask the student! to take it on trust from me that no agency can be half so effective for the removal of those obstacles as that which they can themselves supply, by proving faithful to the admirable sentiments expressed ia the address which they have to-day presented to me, and for which, and for the sentiments expressed in it, I beg to tender them my beat and warmest thanks.