Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 26, 23 October 1896, Page 8

Irish News.

(From Contemporaries.) ARMAGH.— Colonel Saunderson in his True Colours.— Armagh farmers have in no uncertain or equivocating voice denounced their heretofore supposed friend. Colonel Saunderson. The gallant Colonel cannot now throw dust in the eyes of the northern farmers. They are fast, and almost at too late a period, finding out who their real friends are — the blatant Oranaeman. mciter to riots and disunion, or the steady, patriot land reformer of the South and West. The following resolution was adopted at Portadown a few days ago :—": — " Resolved, that we, the committee ot the Loughgall and Diamond Tenant- Farmers' Association, condemn in the strongest possible manner the action of Colonel Saunderson. and also of the House of Lords, in attempting to destroy the only very moderate Bill now before Parliament, and we call upon the Government and the Irish Members to do everything possible to erase the objectionable and damaging clauses introduced : otherwise we will refuse to accept the bill, which is of no value whatever to us. Signed. Ephraim Allen, chairman ; Henry Lamb. Hemy Williamson. William Strothers, Johnston Redmond. Robert Weir. James Strothers, Robert Castles, Robert Winter. John McKcever, Robert Orr, Jacob Marshall. J. Redmond, secretary." CORK. — Fire at Kinsale. — A fire in the market place. Kinsale, recently destroyed the premises in the possession of Mr John O'iSullivan, J. J. O'Sullivan, Mrs. Coveney. Dr. Sullivan and Ellen O'Sullivan. The principal portion of the market place is in ruins. DOWN —Death of the Very Rev. Hugh O'Neill, President Of St. Colman's College, Newry.— It is with deep regret we announce the death of the Very Rev. Hugh O'Neill, president of St. Colman's College, Newry, which took place in Dublin on August 2(>th. Born at Dromore, County Dublin, on the .">th of March. 1 K4t>. Father O'Neill received his early education in a classical aoademy in that town, and at the age of sixteen went to St. Colman's Diocesan College, of which he was afterwards to be president. In September. 1863, he entered the Grand Seminaire. Cambrai. France, where he made his higher ecclesiastical studies. When his course was finished he, though only in deacon's orders, was appointed Proles'- or of English and French in St. Colman's College by the Most Rev. Dr. Leahy. He was ordained priest on the eve of Pentecost. ISG!>. After his ordination he remained as Professor at St. Colman's. and the success of the college in the various exanima: ions for which the students competed is due in no small measure to his untiring industry and zeal. The seal of approbation was set in the fullest manner on his work by his appointment as president by the late revered Bishop of the diocese in 188 S. That position he held to the end, and the news of his early death will come as a severe shock upon the pupils among whom he was labouring two short months ago. But it is not the preesent pupiK alone who will feel the loss. There is not a pupil who has passed through St. Column's during the last quarter of a century who will noc feel to-day that he has lost a friend, and that his Alma Mater can never be quite the same to him again without the presence of " Father Hugh." as he was affectionately termed, and the kindly greeting which eveiy student was sure to receive. DUBLIN— Two Serious Strikes Settled.—"!- "race the Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, and the Biuht Rev. Dr Mc^herry. have succeeded in terminating two strikes in the building trade, one in Dublin and the other in Dundalk. The Dublin stnke. which was a prolonged one did great injury to business and inflicted much suffering, especially on the families ot hibourci* Building was completely suspended in the city and suburbs during the summer and numbers of tradesmen went elsewhere in search ot employment Several attempts were made to terminate this unhappy state of thinys but without avail At last, however, at a nut ting ot representative's of the in, isUrs' and the men's assuci.ii ions h Id under the presidency of His Grace the Viohbishop an amuvbl ■ air.mgi incut vasarri.ed at. It ismucli to be ie'-!retti d t i,i •' < ;i i ' >•■- enact mid did nut auopt this method ot *t itimg" ll m.i.'iii- in dispute previously FERMANAGH. — Another Exhibition of Orange Ruffianism. — O ne ot the most serious party riots that has t\er occurred in Fermanagh broke out in Tempo, a village situated about nine miles from Enniskillen. On September 4. w Inch was Tempo fair day, their was a large number ot country people in the village. About eight o'clock, two men. named Armstrong" and Giey (,i Protest.uit and a Catholic), commenced to fight when about a quarter of a mile outside the village, and it is said that a tew others who were going" along the road took part in the dispute. Aft< r some tune this row ended and the two combatants. Grey and Armstrong, returned to the village and each informed his mends of the occurrence. This hn<l the effect of exciting party feeling", and about half -pa*' a Lug<. body of Orangemen, armed with stones, eic . collected down the street and commenced tocheei and hont uml iw all sorts of party expressions, such as "No surrender." •• To h—lh — 1 with the Pope.' 1 etc. They continued for a long time using foul and abushe epithets towards the Catholics, and seeing that the) wore not able to induce the Catholics to fight they began to call out that th»y were mad tor a fight, and a fight they would have. Seeing' the position of affairs. and knowing from past experience that the Oi.ingenien would only be too glad tc> smash the Catholic houses il tbe\ got an opportunity, the Catholics collected in a small body in the Catholic quarter of the village in order to protect the property of the Catholic inhabitants. The Orangemen now commenced to rling stone's and scraps of iron at the windows of the dwelling-houses and shops of the Catholics, and in a short time all the houses adjoining them were a complete wreck. There were only thm- available policemen in the village, and needless to Kiy all their eflort.s to que.ll the dis-

turbance were futile. This state of affairs continual with increasing intensity up till the arrival of a small force of constabulary from Lisbellaw. As Boon as the Orangemen found the police on the scene they became comparatively quiet for a time, but they were about to recommence their violent conduct when a large contingent ot police arrived from Enniskillen on cars about 1.110 in the morning. "When the Orangemen heard the noise of the cars several ol' them fled to the adjoining mountains, where they fired several shot-. Some ot the police pursued them, but in the darkness were unable to apprehend them. Seeing the state of affairs the police charged the Orangrnen. and drove them off the streets, and the latter having taken refuge in some of the houses of their sympathisers, they succeeded in arresting a large mimber of the ringleaders and procuring their name*. The amount of damage done to property is enormou.s. and the Catholic part of the town is a complete wreck. G lass is strewn about the streets in all directions, and at every step large paving stones are scattered about, some of them weighing siv and seven pounds. During the attack on the Catholic houses- the Orangemen fired several shots, and the police found a large number of bullets in the morning. The residence of the respected parish priest, the Rev. Thomas Gallagher, was stormed by a crowd of Orangemen. Every window in the front part of the house is smashed, the shutters of the windows are broken into matchwood, and altogether it is a complete wreck. The rioters also smashed the windows of the Catholic Church. The Rev. Father Gallagher exerted himself to keep the Catholic party in order, and they were perfectly willing to do anything he wished them, and the disturbance would have ended in half an hour if any responsible Protestant had used his influence to make the Orangemen desist. Several persons have been seriously injured. KING'S COUNTY.-Visit of the Bishop of Meath - The Most Rev. Dr. Nulty, Bishop of Meath, has been paying his triennial episcopal visitation to various parishes in King's County. Commencing at Tubber, His Lordship conferred the sacrament of Confirmation on over 100 children attending the parochial schools, and, in an address to the large congregation present at the ceremony, expressed his gratification at the high standard of religion and education in the parish. Clare was next visited, and there over 200 children were confirmed belonging to the schools of the Franciscan Brothers, Sisters of Mercy, ami the National Schools at Horseleap and Streamstown. His Lordship highly complimented the teachers of the different educational establishments, as well as the respected pastor, the Right Rev. Monsignor Gaffney V G., to whose zeal and energy is due the erection of the beautiful church dedicated to St. Bridget. Passing on to llahan. the venerable prelate was highly pleased at the state of things in the parish, and there 149 children received the sacrament of Confirmation. Having visited the Present ition Convent and Jesuit College, Dr. Nulty proceeded to Frankford, where he felt called upon to repeat the congratulations to pastor and people he had expressed in the other parishes. Last on the tour came the ancient parish of Eglish, which is situated at the extreme southern end of his diocese, adjoining the town of Birr, where he referred to the many improvements in the religious and educational institutions carried out by the present energetic pastor, Rev. Thomas Murray. LlMEElCK— Purchase of Mount Shannon estate.— Mount Shannon, the seat of the earls of Clare, and of the first earl, John, Lord Chancellor of Ireland when the Act of Union was passed in the Irish House of Commons, lias been in possession of mortgagees for years. It has been p .rchased by Jainefc F. Bannatyue. Limerick. There are six hundred acres of land wiih the house, which has not been in occupation for a few years. Mount Shannon is near Annacotty, three i< iles from Limerick. A portion of the demesne is beside the old mail coach roud from Limerick to Dublin. MAYO.— Cottiers' show organised by nuns.— The Countess Cadoeran opened the Cottiers' Agricultural Show at Foxford. County Ma.io. on August L".i. The show is noteworthy for the fact that men o1o 1 all classes and creeds have united for one common object — the recognition of the work which the Sisters of Charity have accomplished, with the help of the Congested Districts- Board in \\ h v was but six y< a^ ago one of the most desoh.te and hopeless spu sin the \\e--t ol Ireland. It is liow a busy hive of enterprise and industry. The natural resources of the districi knenowboin utilized and the water power of the River Moy has been turned to good account; woollen nulls ha\e been erected on its banks and are kept m constant action by a powerful turbine. Tweeds of the finest patterns and quality are turned out daily, and are acquiring a reputation for durability and tastetulness in design. All this has been accomplished by a sisterhood of nuns, with the assistance of the Congested Districts Hoard. Providence House, Foxford, was opened m April. ' MiH , with a loan of X 1.000. The first effort-- of the Sisters of Charity wire purely tducational. Ania/.ed nt the small iittf rdiince at the th> y si oured the whole counti j-side and met with but one e\i use — the want ol the neces;., ny cl' thing. Kriends w( re apprriaehed, help w.is forthcoming, and the numbers more than dnuhl< din th sp,ue of a few weeks. They tin n realised that something mere had to be done, if the rising generation were to enjoy better prospects than their parents. The Congested District* Board was approached. They saw how much the woik deservi d recognition at their hands, lent the sisterhood £7,000 and gave them X 1 ..">OO more as a frt c gift. These 1 mills are now w orked by a staff of young men and young women, who live in a purer and healthier atmosphere than is enjoyed by the mill-hands of our crowded cities. Great, how ever, as has been the work done in supplying employment and wages to the people, social reforms c fleeted have been still more extensive. Not only have the people been made acquainted with the benefits proceeding from the clean, thorough cultivation of the land, but they have been induced to add to the order and cleanliness of their houses and surroundings. The first object of the nuns was to persuade the cottiers to remove the

manure heaps which disfigured the approach to their cottages. Their next was to render restoration impossible by the institution of fruit and vegetable gardens. No less than 250 insanitary areas have been swept away and replaced by fruit and vegetable gardens within a radius of five miles from Providence house, Foxford. It was Lady Cadogan's duty on show day to distribute the prizes offered for the best gardens and for the most effective substitution of manure pits by gardens and clean yards. None, however, of these prizes were awarded unless the cottier could show clean and sanitary interiors. Great as have been the changes already effected, the Sisters of Charity have still more ambitious schemes for the future. Their reforms have, however, been achieved at considerable expense. Though the woollen factory may be said to be now self -supporting and to show a turnover of some £8,000 a year, still £1,500 must be paid annually in wages, and the interest on the borrowed money must be met. The work of social regeneration is also of a costly character. Still the reward has been most substantial to all concerned. TlPPEßAßY— Dedication of a New Church at Nenagh — The beautiful new church at Nenagh was dedicated on August 23 by the Bishop of Kill aloe, his G race the Archbishop of (Jashel presiding. The consecration sermon was preached by the Bishop of Limerick. The church is one of the most beautiful of the many fine churches in Munstor. Its erection is due in the first place to the zeal and energy of the zealous pastor of Nenagh, the Venerable Dean White, and in the second place to the generosity of a people openhanded and faithful. Dr. O'Dwyer, in hib striking sermon, bore eloquent tribute to the good work of pastor and people. " His," said the most reverend preacher, •' has been a notable achievement. In four short years he had raised and completed this splendid church, which, in its size, its dignity, and its richness, might take its place worthily in any cathedral city, and he had tlone it with so little noise." The church is in style after the manner of the English Gothic of the 13th century, with such legitimate introduction of foreign and modern elements as practical consideration dictated. Its massive proportions are singularly graceful ; the arches are models oi beauty of form and grace of triicery. The tower rises to just two hundred feet, and, seen from any portion of the town or surrounding localities, it forms the crowning glory of the country, and, in the words of the eloquent preacher of the day, iv its size, its dignity, its richness, is worthy to take its place in any cathedral city. GENERAL. The Intermediate Examinations, 1896 ; Catholic SuCCeBSeS. — The pass lists of the Intermediate Education Board have just been published. The winners of the " blue ribbon " alike for boys and girls, were the Christian Brothers. North Richmond street, and the nuns of the Loretto Convent, North Great George's street. In the boys' lists the Northern schools have been unusually successful in the senior grmle. and in the middle grade Clongov\es Wood College, Rockwell College, Cashel, and some of the other leading Catholic colleges have secured the greater part of the awards, while in the junior and preparatory grades the Christian (schools score the usual lengthy list of successes. Amongst the high schools and colleges, Clnngowes Wood once more hold* the premier position in the three higher grades, obtaining in them a total of nineteen exhibitions — ono in senior, six in middle and twelve in junior. The success of <'longo\ves in the middle grade is exceptionally brilliant ; out of thirty exhibitions awarded, the college obtains no less than six. In the junior grade also Clongowes maintains its pre-eminence, being firnt among the colleges, with a total of twelve exhibition-. Amongst other distinction* won by Clongowes are : the gold mod.il in the junior for modern languages. Master O'Brien, who wins this medal, secures also first place in German, with a splendid total of 668 out of a possible 700 : Ist in drawing and second in Greek in the senior grade, Ist in Greek, 2nd in French, and 2nd in Celtic in the middle, while in the junior. Master A. Corbett loses the mathematical me<lal by only a few marks, having obtained full merit in both euclid and algebra. Five other boys obtained full merit m mathematical subjects in this grade. Rockwell College has secured not less than nineteen exhibitions. Five of these are in the middle grade, eight in the junior, and six in the preparatory. Blackrook has ten exhibitions. The first place in French, in senior, middle, and junior grades, is won by a Blackrock boy, Master Flaherty, who besides winning an exhibition in the senior grade and a gold medal for modern languages, stands first in French, first in commercial French, first in Italian, and first in commercial German. Master Kelly, in the middle grade, gets the first place in French and third in Italian , while in the junior grade Meyer holds first place in French and secures .192 marks in German. In Mathematics a Blackrock boy. Murphy, scores full marks in middle grade algebra, and his schoolfellow, J. Walsh, first place in both euclid and algebra in junior grade. Thomas Ryan, in preparatory grade, scores- highest in the three mathematical subjects combined, getting 1.620 marks out of a possible total of I.KOO The medal for English in junior grade also goes to Blackrock, S. Potter scoring the fine net total of 940 marks. Not only has Miss Helena Walsh secured the first place in the senior grade, but two students from St. Mary's University College occupy second and third places respectively. In the middle grade nine exhibitions have been won by Catholic students, no less than three of these being students in the Loretto College, Stephens' green, Gold medals go, of course, to the fortunate '"first" in all the grades. Medals also are bestowed for the highest marks in classics, English, mathematics, ... 7 ern languages, etc. The very large number of 1.670 pupils educated in the metropolitan and provincial schools of the Christian Brothers have passed the Board examination. Of these there are — senior grade, 24 ; middle, 08 ; junior, 646 ; preparatory, 942. The Christian schools have obtained in the three grades the splendid total of thirty-five exhibitions. GTrls' Schools- — To turn to girls' lists, the success of the conventß is very gratifying indeed. St. Louis' Convent, Monaghan,

as last year, heads the list with a gross total of thirteen distinctions ; while the Ursuline High school, St. Angela's Cork, comes second with eleven. St. Mary's University College and the Dominican Convent, Eccleß street, tie for third place, the former institution having secured two senior grade exhibitione, one middle grade exhibition, and one preparatory grade exhibition. This is a most creditable record, as no other Catholic girls' school, with one exception, secured a senior grade exhibition. The one exception is, however, a notable one. It is that of the Loretto Convent, North Great George's street, one of whose pupils. Miss Helena Walsh, gained the first place out of all Ireland in the senior grade. The two students from St. Mary's University College occupy respectively second and third places in the senior grade. The Loretto Convents, Stephen's green, secured seven distinctions, three middle grade exhibitions being amongst them. Pupils of the Loretto Convents held first place in the senior grade, fourth place in the middle grade and fifth place and sixth place in the junior grade. The Convent of Mercy. Queenstown, gained two middle grade exhibitions and four book prizes — a record on which it well deserves to be congratulated, he success of the Ursuline Convents was, as usual, remarkable, and Avorthy of the reputation of that distinguished teaching Order. Looked at g-enerally, the intermediate results of 1896 emphasize once more the remarkable forward movement in Catholic secondary education which the last two decades have witnessed. The Prosperity Of Ireland.— A Parliamentary paper, published lately gives some interesting statistics relating to banking, railway and shipping in Ireland. The information deals with the half-year ended June 30 last, and in almost every important item an improvement is noted as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The deposits and cash balances in Joint Stock Banks in the middle of the year which, comparing June with June, had gradually increased from £29, 223,000 in June, 1886, to £37,4 91.000 in the corresponding period of 189.), further rose to t:38,7.">8.000 in June of the present year, being the highest amount yet reached for June and showing an increase of £ 1 ,267,000, or 34 per cent., as compared with the amount in the middle of last year, and an increase of C'.>,r>3.">,ooo, or 326 per cent., as compared with the amount in June, 1886. At the end of June of this year, the estimated amount in the Post Office Savings Banks in Ireland stood at £"> 919.000, as compared with £.">, 337,000 for the corresponding period of 18.i."i, showing an increase of £382,000, following an increase of £650,000 in the twelve months ending with June, 1895, which inciease is the largest in any year since the establishment of these institutions. The balance in the savings banks in Ireland in June last amounted to £8,047,000, or £676,000 in excess of the balance in June, 1895, being £68,000 under the large increase for the year ended June 30, 18 ( .i.">, but £60,000 over the increase for the twelve months ending with June, 1894, which was equal to double the highest annual increase in any of the twenty years preceding. A review of the weekly traffic returns shows that the total receipts for the twenty-six weeks are in excess of those for the first half of any previous year, and show an increase of £10,003 as compared with the first six months of last year, the receipts for which period were i 131,263, or 20 per cent, above those for the first half of the year ISH4 The shipping returns, both with regard to vessels entered in Irish ports and vessels cleared, also show fair increase.