DEAN BURKE'S ADDRESS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 24, 20 October 1898, Page 3

DEAN BURKES ADDRESS.

The Very Rev. Dean Burke, who was received with warm applause, in referring to the ignorance of even Irish people with regard to the events of 1798, pointed out that this was caused by the teaching of Irish history being practically tabooed in the Irish schools. As the Irish "Prehbyterian, John Ferguson, said, ' the British Government succeeded very considerably in throwing the chains of slavery not only over the limbs, but, what is still worse, over the minds of the Irish people.' Hence one of the services rendered by celebrations such as this would be to give the English and Scottish, as well as the Irish people, a knowledge of that period of history. The speaker combated the absurd notion that the insurrection of 1798 was a mere squabble in one corner of the Island, and that it was the work of Catholics. The movement originated among the Presbyterians of Dlster (applause). They Baw that their fellow-countrymen, the majority of the population, were the merest slaves, who were not even deemed to exist. The Presbyterians of the North combined with the Anglicans, received the Catholics into the Volunteers, and made Catholic emancipation one of the resolutions of the volunteers (applause). Next, the Society of United Irishmen was formed (1) to combine all classes and oreeds for the common good of their common country ; (2) to procure the reform of the corrupt Irish Parliament ; (3) to bring about an