Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 04, Issue 6, 4 June 1897, Page 8

Irish News.

(From Contemporaries.)

CLARE.— A Kilrush Mansion Burned.— Great excitement prevailed in Kilrush on Friday, March 27, when it was discovered that Kilrush House, one of the finest mansions lin this county, was in flames. Immediately a vast throng of people rushed to the scene of the conflagration, but it at once became apparent that the magnificent residence was doomed to destruction. All the floors and roofs are fallen in, and nothing but the four walls now stand of this palatial residence. The place was in charge of a housekeeper and housemaid, as the Vandeleur family, who own Kilrush House, are at present living at their London residence situated in Cadogan square, S.W. Scarcely an item of the costly furniture or an article of the heirlooms were saved from the general destruction. The damage is estimated at £30,000. The building itself was insured for £1,980, but no insurance was effected on the plate, library, or general contents of the mansion, which was valued at £15,000 or £16,000. Captain Hector D. Vandeleur, D.L., fell in for the house and extensive demesne about twenty years ago. This gentleman, who is the largest landed proprietor in Clare, has only come to reside at home within the past three years, and he does the honours there for a period of only three months.

CORK.— Cross-Country Running : Brilliant Victory for Cork. — The senior county championship (reports the Cork Herald, March 27) was decided yesterday under the same favourable conditions as regards weather as the minor event, which is extraordinary to report as far as our relations with the clerk of the weather is concerned. For once in a way there was an ideal day, and the Clonskea course was not on the heavy side. Expectations of a good race were evinced by the large number of people who journeyed to the course, and it is almost needless to say that they were not disappointed, as the struggle for the championship was one of the keenest ever seen. The greatly- fancied Donellan for the junior championship, who belied his friends so badly in that event, quickly asserted his right of confidence in himself, and retrieving his reputation by making every post a winning one, and landing the colours of the gate-bearers to victory. An objection has been lodged to his going the wrong side of the flag, but it will hardly be sustained. Cork has, after this race, proved that Munster is superior in the county running in Ireland, as she was opposed by both Ulster and Leinster, and although Donellan came from the other province he raced in the colours of the eastern one. Phibbs finished within almost a second of the winner, and ran his race in a style which would entitle him to compete in any company. Belfast was certainly disappointing, if such a term could be applied to them in such a contest, where it was almost a question of single points to win or lose. The Haddingtons deserve more credit than any other club for filling the second place, but they had no chance, even with Donellan thrown in, to gain the coveted lowest score.

DUBLIN.— The Shipowners and the Meat Traders.— The cross-channel transit of cattle promises to be the cause of some sharp differences between the shipowners and the meat traders. On Tuesday, March 80, a deputation of the former waited on the president of the Board of Trade, and took st rong exception to the statements made recently by Mr. William Field, M.P , as to the conditions under which the transhipment of cattle from Ireland to England is carried out. Mr. Watson of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, was the principal spokesman, and he quoted figures to show that the methods adopted by Irish companies compared very favourably with those of transatlantic companies. The former lost only 2\"> per 4000, while the loss on the Atlantic trade was 72 per 4000. The allegation made by the deputation was that the inferior condition in which Irish cattle were landed at English ports was due to the ill-treatment they received at Irish fairs, and doubtless the truth of the matter is that neither the shipping companies nor the cattle buyers are entirely free from blame. The subject is now, of course, under official consideration, and it would be eminently desirable that agitation by the interested parties should quicken the action of the authorities.

Release of Matthew Kinsella. — Matthew Kinsaila was released on Wednesday, March 31, from Mountjoy Prison, after fourteen years' imprisonment. He looked fairly well after his long incarceration. He was w elcomed back to the outer world by his wife and his daughter who was but an infant at the time of his trial. Matthew Kinsella was sentenced on April 8, 1882, to twenty years' penal servitude by Judge Morris (now Lord Morris), at Green street for the manslaughter of a young man named Andrews. The evidence was scanty but the times were exciting and disturbed and the Crown secured a conviction. The alleged occurrence took place in Benburb street (then Tighe street), Andrews being found by the police in a dying condition on the pavement near Kinsella's house. Kinsella made a statement declaring the occurrence to be the result of accident, but this statement was not accepted. Kinsella's first prison experience was at Mountjoy, where he spent twelve months. He was then removed to Spike Island, spending six months there, again to Mountjoy for nine months, then to Chatham for about nine months. At Downpatrick he spent six and a half years, and the remainder of the term at Mountjoy, from which he has just been released. He speaks of his Irish prison treatment as fair, but hia recollections of Chatham are of a painful kind, coinciding in this

matter with those of other Irish prisoners. Daring the most of his prison time Kinsella was engaged at shoemaking.

GALWAY. — Restoration of St. Patrick's Church, Galway.— An effort is being made by the Very Rev. P. Dooley, P.P., for the purpose of restoring and enlarging that once magnifr cent church, St. Patrick's, Forster street, Galway, which has been closed for thirty -three years. Last January the part of the property upon which the church is erected was secured from the Protestant owners into whose hands it had fallen to the parishioners through the energy ana enterprise of the Most Rev. Dr. MacCormack, Bishop of Galway. The church is a substantial and spacious building, with a commanding tower, and located in a very populous district in the old City of the Tribes, but unfortunately it has decayed in later years, and an effort is now being made to restore it to its former splendour. The restoration and enlargement will cost several thousands of pounds, and Father Dooley contemplates holding a bazaar in the square of Galway the first week in August next as a means of securing portion of the amount, and, no doubt, the object will be supported in a manner worthy of the Catholic people of that city.

KERRY.— The Proposed Waterville Railway.— There is very considerable distress*in the southern congested portions of the County Kerry at present. A large meeting was held recently at Waterville, presided over by Mr. Daniel O'Connell, D.L , and at which Father O'Reilly, P.P., Waterville, and Father Martin, P.P., Caherdaniel, spoke. It was stated that there was very acute distress prevalent in the district, the oat crop and the potato crop both having failed, and the fishing industry on which many of the poor families relied to supplement their agricultural earnings being in a paralysed state owing to a tidal wave having smashed nearly all the boats. Strong resolutions were passed at the meeting calling the attention of the Government to the distress, and asking for a grant towards the projected Waterville line as a means of relieving the prevalent destitution. There seemed to be a very general feeling that the South of Ireland had been badly treated by the present Government, nearly all the money sanctioned by Parliament having been allocated to the North.

KING'S COUNTY. — A Deluged Country. — For many years the farmers of the midlands have not encountered as adverse a season as the present spring has proved to be so far. Rain has fallen heavily and without in termission for the past three months, deluging the country and rendering- farming operations impossible. The rivers have risen to a height unprecedented for a considerable period, inundating the low-lying districts and rendering the callows one vast sheet of water. Between Meelick and Clonmacnoise the Shannon has overflowed its banks, and converted the country at each side for a considerable area into one vast lake. People in occupation of riparian holdings have been completely cut off from outside communication except by means of boats, and have sustained serious loss through being prevented from sowing their crops.

TIPPERARY — Silver Jubilee of the Archbishop of Philadelphia. — -A- large and representative meeting of the people of Thurles, Conoulty and Cloneyharp was held at Thurles on Monday, March 29, for the purpose of taking steps to offer, on the occasion of his approaching silver jubilee, a tribute of congratulation and respect to his Grace the Archbishop of Philadelphia, who was born in Thurles. The Very Rev. N. Rafferty, Adm., who was in the chair, in opening the proceedings, said : A few weeks hence Philadelphia, city and diocese, will be en fete celebrating the episcopal silver jubilee of a great ecclesiastic and a great Irishman, his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Ryan, Archbishop of Philadelphia. Archbishop Ryan is a Thurles man. He was born and spent a portion of his schoolboy days in Thurles. It was proposed " That an address of congratulation be presented to his Grace of Philadelphia, on the occasion of his episcopal jubilee."

WICKLOW.— Wreck off the Wicklow Coast : Narrative Of the Sole Survivor.— l visited Arklow to-day, says a correspondent of the Freeman of April 3, and obtained particulars respecting the loss of the schooner Express, of Wexford, on Arklow bank yesterday morning, and the drowning of four of the crew. The Express, which was owned and commanded by Mr. Lawrence Murphy, left Dublin on Saturday afternoon for Wexford with a cargo of one hundred and seventy tons of manure. The crew was composed of John Murphy (brother of the owner"), mate ; Myles Connor, seaman ; James Murphy (bon of owner), boy ; and James Kehoe, second boy. Everything went well until about half -past three on Sunday morning, when the vessel on reaching towards Arklow bank, about midway between the lighthhip-. took the ground. She was brought about promptly, but instead of getting clear got into less water, and soon became fast. The sea then began breaking over the vessel, and an effort was made to launch the boat through a gangway, which had been unshipped. While thus engaged a big sea broke aboard, smashed the boat into atoms, and carried the master overboard. Nothing further was heard of him The others then took to the forerigging where they held on for several hours, although constantly drenched with spray, and, almost frozen with the cold. Shortly after eleven o'clock the lifeboat from Arklow reached the fecene of the wreck, with which she secured communication by means of a line. The boy James Murphy was the first to essay the task of getting to the lifeboat, which was obliged to lie a good distance off in consequence of the bad sea and dangerous surroundings. Murphy jumped into the water with the line round his body, and had got about half way when it was discovered that his companions would have to let go their end if he was to get any further. Fearing he would be drowned if there was any delay they let go, and Murphy was quickly pulled alongside and lifted into the lifeboat. Unfortunately before communication could again be established with the schooner the foremast went over the side, and the three men who were clinging on there disappeared. Soon afterwards the vessel became a total wreck, and the lifeboat

returned to Arklow with the solitary survivor. He was very weak for some time, but after kind treatment in the house of Mr. James Tyrrell, hon. secretary of the Lifeboat Committee, quickly got all right again. In the course of a conversation which I had with him to-day stated that about half an hour after the vessel struck a steamer b, 'up ohannel passed close by. They hailed as loudly as they com*. -i t those aboard apparently did not notice them. Long after dayligh. -1 appeared a second steamer, which he believes to have been a coh. came along between the wreck and the shore. The men in the rigging waved an oilskin and sou'wester to attract attention, but to their dismay the steamer never altered her course. Of the four men who were drowned only one — Lawrence Murphy — was married. All belonged to Wexf ord. In connection with this wreck it deserves to be recorded that from the time the report was made to the chief office of the Coastguards here yesterday morning until the lifeboat was launched, only fifteen minutes elapsed. The expedition displayed was highly creditable. GENERAL. The Irish Fishing Industry.— The state of the Irish fisheries is well brought out in the following comments from the Manchester Guardian : " The unsatisfactory condition of the Irish fishing industry may be gathered from the return relating to the sea fisheries of the United Kingdom which has just been published by the Board of Trade. The total number of persons employed in the Irish fisheries is 27,000, as compared with about 90,000 in the English and Scotch fisheries ; but whereas fish to the value of £7,157,000 was landed last year on the coasts of Great Britain, the value of the fish landed in Ireland was only £279,000. Having regard to the number of persons employed in each case, and making the fullest allowance for fish brought by Irish boats to English and Scotch ports, it may safely be estimated that the result of the year's sea fishing was five times greater for Great Britain than for Ireland. A comparison of the Irish fishing fleet with that of England or Scotland goes far to account for this startling disparity. In 1895 — the last year for which the figures are available — Ireland, with about two-thirds the number of fishermen, possessed almost as many registered fishing boats as England and Wales, the exact numbers being respectively 7,398 and 7.901. The Irish total, however, included no fewer than 3,840 rowing boats pure and simple, and only 392 boats of 15 tons and upwards ; whilst the English fleet included only 81 rowing-boats and as many as 3,669 smacks of not less than 15 tons. The small Irish boats are, of course, obliged to fish near home. They can neither follow the fish to their constantly changing feeding-grounds nor when a good catch is made can they take it to the best markets. A plentiful mackerel season like that of last year is consequently a doubtful benefit, for the local markets are quickly glutted, and enormous quantities of fish which would bring a good price in the great centres of consumption are literally thrown away or used as manure, Unfortunately the number of first-class Irish boats, insignificant as it is, steadily diminishes year by year, and the almost limitless resources of the Irish sea fisheries remain undeveloped for want of capital."

St. Patrick's Day : Trooping the Colours.— The celebrations of the great National Festival was (says the Dublin Freeman) observed with all the usual honours. The chief characteristic of the day was the fact that everyone sported " the green immortal shamrock" — the ladies in an especial manner favouring the chosen leaf by wearing what, in many instances, amounted to gigantic bunches of it. The weather, true to the unvarying traditions of the 17th of March, was all smiles and tears by turns, bright and glorious sunshine alternating with heavy showers of rain and even hail. The ceremony of trooping the colours, or, rather, of formally relieving the guards at Dublin Castle, was performed with some elaboration. Soon after eleven o'clock the greater portion of the enclosure in the Upper Castle Yard was occupied by people, and the marching and counter-marching of the military in their full-dress uniforms lent an animated character to the scene. The balconies in front of the Vice-regal apartments were draped in crimson, white and green, and when the Lord Lieutenant and Countess Cadogan and Vice-regal party came out — some of them wearing the trefoil — the bands played '■ God save the Queen " and then " Patrick's Day." The guests of the Lord Lieutenant included Lord Halsbury, Lord Chancellor of England; Lord Ashbourne. Lord Chancellor of Ireland ; the Marquis of Hastings, Countess of Pembroke, Earl of Clarendon, etc. The Viceroy was attended by ' ord George Scott, A.D.C. ; Hon G. Cadogan, A.D.C. ; Captain Meyrick. A.D.C. ; Earl Granard, A.D.C. ; and Lord Athlumney. A.D.C. ; Colonel Foster, Master of the Horse ; and Sir William Kaye, C.8., private secretary, were also present. The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards furnished six guards of fourteen files each, with the regimental colours, drums and fifes and pipers, the guard relieved being furnished by the Oxfordshire Lijjht Infantry. Col. Inigo Jones was field officer of the day, and was also in command of the Scots Guards. Lieutenant Hon. H W. Trefusis. of the Scots Guards, acted as Brigade Major. Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, K.P., Commander of the Forces, who wore field marshal's uniform, was mounted on a white Arab pony charger, and was accompanied by the Head-quarter Staff, and escorted by a party of the 13th Hussars. He was accompanied by General Lord Frankford dc Montmorency, commanding- the Dublin District. The movements commenced with the playing- of " St. Patrick's Day "by the drums and fifes of the Guards. There was then a slow maroh, followed by the quick tune of '' The British Grenadiers."

A gold chalice, of 18-carat quality and weighing with its paten ."53 ounces, has just been made for presentation to a Catholic Bishop in the United States. The chalice is 8i inches high, and follows in design the lines of the best period of mediaßval metal work, while the detail is wholy original. The chalice has been made by Hardman, Powell and Co., of King Edward's Works, Birmingham.