Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 24, 9 October 1896, Page 11

Irish News.

(From Contemporaries.), ANTRIM.— The Giant's Causeway.— A Belfast telegram states that a new claimant for the Giant's Causeway is Lord Antrim, whose solicitors have written to the Giant's Causeway syndicate, ■claiming the Causeway, its approaches, and the surroundings, and also the foreshore, as his private property. ARMAGH.— Armagh Guardians and their Presbyterian 'Chaplain. — At the last weekly meeting- of the Armagh Board of Guardians, Mr. James H. Stronge, J.P., presiding, the following letter from the Local Government Board was read with reference to the action of the Presbyterian chaplain of the workhouse, referred to in the recent Local Government Board inquiry held there :—": — " The Local Government Board for Ireland have had before them the resolution of the Board of G-uardians of Armagh Union of the 28th ultimo on the subject of the letter addressed to the Board by the Roman Catholic chaplain of the workhouse, and in reference thereto the Board desire to point out that if the statement of Margaret Clarke at the recent inquiry is correct, that the Presbyterian chaplain prayed in the infirm ward so that all the inmates might hear, there would appear to have been a breach of Article 32 ■of the workhouse rules, which requires a chaplain to afford religious assistance to an inmate in such a manner as not to interfere with the good order and discipline of the other inmates, and so that such assistance shall be strictly confined to inmates who are of the religious persuasion of the chaplain. A chaplain ministering to the sick and infirm must address himself to each patient of his own denomination whom he may wish to attend separately, and must speak in such a tone of voice as not to attract the attention of the inmates of different denominations : and the Local Government Board request that the special attention of the Rev. Mr. Patterson and of the other chaplains may be called to the terms of the workhouse rule already referred to, with a view to prevent any apparent interference with the religious convictions of the inmates." When the letter had been read by the chairman it was proposed by Mr. •J. S. Riggs, J.P., seconded by Mr. James Mann, and passed — •• That a copy of Article 32 be supplied to each of the chaplains in the house." CORK —GoId Medal to Baltimore School of Fishery — The United States has awarded a World's ifair medal to the Baltimore School of Fishery for its exhibit of models of fishing schools, etc. The exhibit consisted of wood models of the school showingquarters for boys, room for mending and laying nets and seines, open court and miniature representations of boys mending skoughing seines and nets, model of fishing-smack, fully rigged, and photographs of boys at work in every department of a fisherman's educational school. The model of the school was made at the expense of Baroness Burdett-Coutts. DERRY. — Times are Changed. — The Presbyterian Church authorities of Deny recently astounded and startled the gay and festive Orangemen of that historic city by refusing them the use of the meeting house to celebrate the glorious 12th. The privilege would be granted on condition that the blatant members of the bigoted association would not wear sashes or insignia, nor be accompanied with bands or banners. Bless you 1 what would Orangeism be minus these trappings ? Nothing. Nazareth House in Derry. — How hard it is for a decent Protestant to rise above the most un-Christian sectarianism in Derry has just been proved (says Hie Free mail's Journal) in a peculiarly ugly fashion. A petition had been extensively signed in the city praying the governors of the Irish Society to increase the annual "•rant to the Nazareth House, a refuge for the aged and infirm poor, who are cared for by a community of nuns. The signatories numbered many Protestants, including such professional men as Sir William Miller and Sir Acheson MacCullagh and many of the wealthiest Protestant merchants. Whereupon the Orange organ ■expressed its suprise that they should put their names to such a document, and the City of Derry Working-men's Constitutional Association " express their emphatic protest against the action of several gentlemen whose names appear in Tlir Journal as having signed a memorial to the Irish, bociety to grant funds in aid o£ Nazareth House, this institution being entirely a sectarian and political institution." ■■ Political," it will be observed, has its own meaning in Derry. To the credit of the Irish Society, be it said, the •decent people prevailed. DUBLIN.— A New Church for Howth.— His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, who had a very enthusiastic welcome from his people, has blessed the foundation-stone of the beautiful new church, which is soon to cover one of the loveliest sites in Howth. The zealous pastor of Howth, in his report which was read to the meeting, happily quoted from a Protestant writer a prophecy that the occasion justified. " After all," runs the quotation, " the religion •of Ireland will be Catholic, and this is shown by the churches they are building, some o£ which are really beautiful." That " some " would now be written " most." And if there is a spot in Ireland whose sacred memories and historic associations demand a temple the best the people can give it is historic Ben-Bdar. The Catholics of Howth realise that. They are proud of their native parish, proud of its past and of its present. They have justifiably big ideas of its future too. Hence they have laid their plans so that 'when the work is crowned it shall fit its place. They have already subscribed over £3000. Another like sum will be required to build the shell and bring- the church so far towards completion as wi 1 -enable it to be used for saored worship. Lord Howth bas generously given the site free. One other reason may be given why people •should be open-handed on this occasion. The church is to be

genuine home manufacture. The materials for the church, are nearly all being provided within the parish of Howth itself. The , stone and sand come from Lord Howth's estate, the bricks from Portmarnock, and the lime from O'Doulough's. Only the granite is being imported, but that comes from Wicklow. Under all the circumstances there is little doubt that the calls on his Grace the Archbishop to put down pound for pound will be frequent and fast. But it is a bargain of love ; and none will rejoice more than, his Grace to see yet another beautiful church raised in his diocese to the glory of God and in honour of the saints of Ireland and Dublin. The O'Con.nell Memorial Committee.— The last act in the history of the O'Connell memorial committee has now been performed. It has handed its bank balance and its minute book to the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Dublin. The money is to be applied to the preservation of the monument. During its career the committee had some moments that were anxious and not a little lively. But its work was done well eventually, and the monument it has given to the city is one of which any city might be proud. Galway,— Sale Of an estate.— ln the Landed Estates' Court, Dublin, an estate situated at Carna was put up for sale and purchased by the Congested Districts Board. There was some very spirited competition between local intending purchasers and the Board. One of the lots includes the village of Carna, including the site of the local Catholic Church and the parochial house. The total amount of the purchase was £5,330. LOW Price for Turf. — A recent issue of the Tuam News said : *' On Monday last about 200 horses, asses and jennets were busy as they could be putting in turf to the Ballinaslow Asylum at 7d per box, about 2s 4d for a large horse load. At daylight in tide morning scores of carts were ranged along the road both sides of the gate, so as to be near to get in when the gate opened at six o'clock. The same price was given in the workhouse, where they got plenty of the best of turf. This rush of farmers with turf at this very low price shows how scarce the money is, among them, Ten or twelve years ago not one-f ourth.of the number would bother putting in turf at 9d or lOd a box. Some of those farmers have to bring their turf three or four miles. They are badly paid for their labour, but they are glad to get it, bad as it is. KERRY.— A pitiable Case.— Dennis Healy, Headfort, near Rathmore, who was imprisoned during six months in ) 889, under Balf our's Crimes Act, because he was honourable secretary of the Barnaduff Irish National League Branch, and who was evicted by Coltsman, Flesk Castle, Killarney, lalely applied the Killarney Board of Guardians for out-door relief. But, shameful to relate, it was refused. KILDARE.— An Anomaly.— A sketch of the life and writings of the late Professor Kelly, of Maynooth, which appears in the current number of the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, from the pen of the Rev. N. Murphy, P.P., informs us that : — " Down to a late period the priests in parts of Ireland used to collect, after baptising a child, the minister's baptism money. I know a man," writes Dr. Kelly, " who claimed for himself the honour of having been the first in Kilkenny who refused to allow the priest to act as the minister's proctor. This was in the year 1780." KING'S COUNTY.— Rack-renting a bog— The Marquis of Downshire intends to practically raise the rack-rents on a large number of the poorest of his King's County tenants, and a rent of five shillings an acre will be levied on the bog that through years, if not generations, of industry they reclaimed. From time immemorial these tenants have been encouraged to pursue this labourious work of reclamation in the belief that rent would never be charged for the portions rescued from the great waste of bog and brought into cultivation, a work that could not have been done by any one else at a less cost than ten pounds an acre. .For some years no rent was assessed on these patches, which were almost unproductive, then a nominal shilling an acre was put on, and the tenants were obliged to submit ; but now when the reclaimed parts are yielding scanty crops of potatoes and rye, the rent is permanently fixed at five shillings an acre thus making an all-round increase in the rental of farms adjoining the bog of Allen, which spreads itself over most of the estate. Downshire holds over 13,000 acres in this county, the rent roll exceeding — £8,000 a year. LIMERICK— Death of a famous Athlete.— Edward O'Grady, the famous Limerick athlete, is dead. The deceased was born at Ballybricked, County Limerick, about forty-two ago. He came of a family who were remarkable for marvellous performances in the athletic arena. He was, physically, the finest type of Irish manhood. It is about twelve years --since he last "competed for honours in the athletic field. His records at heavy-weight putting up to that time were matchlese. He and the late William Real were born within a few miles of each other, and it is safe to state that in both hemispheres they had no equals for appearance and physical activity. Real was about O'G-rady's height, but the latter was about two stone heavier. About six years ago he was evicted from a valuable farm which he held near Caherconlish. Since then he had been residing iv Limerick with his brother-in-law, Michael Lane, rate collector, at whose residence he died. TIPPERARY. — Larcenies from Thurles Catholic Cathedral. — A.t Thurles recently a charge was investigated bef ora Mr. Henry Bruen, R.M., and the justices, against one Anastasia Fitzgerald — said to be a native of an adjoining county — for larcenies from the Catholic cathedral in that town. It appeared from the evidence that for the past nine months or so various bags and baskets had been stolen from the church. The plan adopted by the thief apparently was to wait until the owner of the article had gone into the confessional, and then disappear with it. The Rev. N. Rafferty, Adm., obtained the assistance of Detective-Sergeant Patrick Stacey, R.1.C., Thurles, and he, after watching every Saturday and market day for nine weeks from a position in the organ gallery, made an arrest on July 25. The accused, Anastasia

Fitzgerald. waR charged with stealing from the church on Saturday. 25th, a market basket and its contents, and also with having on the 24th March last stolen a bunch of keys, the property of Mi^s Kate Byrne, of Ballymureen. Sergeant Stacey. in answer to District Inspector Coleman. proved that on the 2."> th ultimo he \va>- < on watch in the cathedral. He saw the accused take the basket. He followed her out and charged her with the offence. She said she lost a basket herself about five weeks before and that the one she took was like it. She made a mistake. He searched her house and found the bunch of keys produced. They fitted a number of locks in Miaa Byrne's house at Ballymureen. He also stated that while he had the accused under observation she searched several baskets in the church. Miss Bryne deposed that she lost a bag in the cathedral on the 24th March last. It contained a considerable sum of money, some toilet articles, and the bunch of keys produced. She never got back the bag or money. The accused, on the application of District-Inspector Coleman, was returned for trial to the next Quarter Sessions. Much public attention was directed to the case, and the conduct of Sergeant Stacey is highly commended. TYRONE.— Discovery Of a Cromlech.— While a man named Corr was cutting turf in one of Lissan bogs he came upon what appears to be a very fine ancient cromlech, over which about three feet of turf had grown. The side stones are as smooth as finely polished marble, measure nine feet in length, three in height, and would weigh several tons. These stones are covered by two huge slabs, which-give some idea of what the strength of our ancestors must have been to place them in their present position. ' A large boulder, which served as a doorway, was slightly removed on discovery, so that entrance and explorations of the cromlech are quite easy. The bottom it* carefully paved with smaller stones. IN THE OLD COUNTRY. I. Oh, my love is with the land So fair and bright and grand Where the people are so kindly and ho true ; Where hands and hearts are warm In HUiishine and in storm, And the speech is soft and sweet a-< summer dew : Where 'tin d«cli*h and vtacree (What more loving words could be .') And 'tin gru-tjal and muvourneen. and axtttorr \ And the hearty bannacht-luth Pray* a blessing on your path. And thay wi*<h you luck and happine*-^ i/o-hor. 11. Then is pity for the poor. There it> helping ever sure For the " innocent." the cripple, and the blind ' There are cheering words and free For the white-haired ra nit her, And the poor old " widdy " long since left behind : For 'tis 'Morning," Maurya Fay, And 'tis well you look to-day ; You'll be smiling on a sweetheart soon again .' And 'tis Phaudrig Dull, avick, Sure you hardly need the stick, Wid the knowledge and the light that's in your brain." 111. Then around the fire at night. What a scene of pure delight. With the xeanacherfi, the colleen*, and the boys, As they tell old Ireland's wrongs, And they sing young Ireland's songs. And are thrilled by Erin's sorrows and her joys ; And 'tis '• God reward old Dan. Aye, and every other man Who strove to make dear Gran in free and great ! And 'tis ' Oh, boys, for a chance From America or France, Such aa came and passed away in Ninety -eight !' "

IV. Then the fiddler tunes his strings. And they move away the things. And thoy make what space they can upon the floor : And at it. heel and toe. The merry dancers go. And the <-rol i>« heard far out beyond the floor : And 'tis •• Bravo, purty Kate ! Faith your steps are light and nate :' And "ti« '' Well done. Paddy ! you're your lather's son ' But, boys — alas for me. 'Tis amongst you I would be, But my singing and my dancing days are done.