Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 50, 13 December 1900, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRlM.— Getting Particulars of Lord Russell's Early Life- — Mr. Barry O'Brien, who has undertaken the biography of Lord Russell of Killowen, visited Ireland recently in prosecution of that task. He Btayed for a time in Belfast, where Lord Russell began his legal career, and he gleaned some interesting particulars regarding that remote period of the great lawyer's life, which will be of special value to the completeness of the biography. Belfast Catholic Club.— On Thursday evening, October 18, a large and influential assemblage of clergy and laity assembled in the Belfast Central Catholic Club on the occasion of the inaugural lecture of the winter session of the Literary Society, which was delivered by the Very Rev. Dr. O'Loan, Maynooth College. Dr. O'Loan chose for his theme ' Ulster's Fight for Ireland's Freedom,' and delivered a brilliant and interesting address. The Most Rev. Dr. Henry presided. CLARB-— Death of an Archdeacon.— Archdeacon Murphy, of Quin, one of the oldest clergymen in the Diocese of Killaloe, died on October 2. He was born 74 years ago at Lorrha. His first curacy was at Six-Mile Bridge, County Clare. He also ministered in Templederry and Nenagh. He was then made parish priest of Tomgraney, and while there it became his lot to take a prominent part in the famous Bodyke eviction campaign on the O'Callaghan estate. Those who have followed the incidents of that stirring time will remember the unselfish manner in which Father Marphy exerted himself in the cause of his people. Some eight or nine years ago.on the death of Father Daniel Corbett, he was made pastor of Quinn, and two years subsequently, on the death of Archdeacon O'Leary, he was appointed Archdeacon. While in Tomgraney he built a handsome church almost from his own pocket, and in other parishes helped largely to establish schools and otherwise to minister to the spiritual and material wants of his people. CORK.— Death of a Rosscarbery Man.— Mr. James O'Donovan, of Rosscarbery, died recently. He had been for many years a member of the old Clonakilty Board of Guardians. He was always prominently identified with the National cause. Since its inception he had been president of the Rosscarbery Literary Society, , a body that has done a great deal for the young men of the town. A SeriOUS Trade Dispute.— A rather serious trade dispute hat arisen in Cork in connection with the Blackpool Flax Factory. The operatives Bought an increase of wages, which was refused. They then struck work, and the laborers in the factory were directed to take their places. This they refused to do. The management then determined to have the work done elsewhere, and had all the raw material packed for transmission to Belfast. But the laborers refused to touch it, and the management retorted by a notice of lock-out. Nine hundred work-people are affected. DERRY.— An Election Rumor— it is rumored in North Derry that Mr. Horace Plunkett will be asked to stand for that constituency in the event of the promotion of Mr. Atkinson to the Lord Chancellorship. It is supposed in the constituency that the Lord Chancellor is about to retire. Aspiring to the Dignity of a County Town.— The people of Coleraine aspire to raise their pretty town to the dignity of a •county town.' A large meeting, presided over by Mr. Barrie, U.D.C., demanded that the town, by reason of its central position, should forthwith be constituted the permanent official headquarters of the Derry County Council and the seat of the county assizes. DONEGAL.— A Serious Accident.— Losing control ever his bicycle on a steep hill near Rathmullan, Mr. William Fox, agent for the Lough Swilly Steamer Company, was dashed with terrific force against a wall. His skull was fractured, and when the mail left he was lying in a hopeless condition. DUBLIN.— The New Member for Stephen's Green— Mr. James M'Caun, the new member for Stephen's Green, is distinguished as the only possessor of a house-boat used on Irish waters. His house-boat is a large and comfortable one, and ii well known up the canal route across the Bog of Allen district. It was built to pass the canal locks with safety. A New Club.— An important addition to the Catholic institutions of Dublin is the Calaroga Club, established under the auspioes of the Dominican Fathers of St. Saviour's. It is quite in the fitness of things that an Order which has such traditions of high intellectual culture should be identified with what is designed to be a literary and social centre for Catholic laymen engaged in professional or commercial pursuits. The formation of a committee of management composed of gentlemen well known in social and literary circles in Dublin augurs well for the success of the club, which was to have been inaugurated during the first week of November. Celebrating the Anniversary of the Death of an Irish Scholar.— Thursday, October IS, was the anniversary of the death of the Rev. Eugane O'Growney, the famous Irish scholar. The first anniversary was celebrated in Dublin by a great muster of Gaelic Leaguers in the John street schoolrooms, at which the Rev. Father Anderson, 0.5.A., delivered an eloquent address, followed by an essentially Irish concert. FERMANAGH.— An Interesting Find.— Last September Mr. Thomas Plunkett, of Enniakillen, excavated an important erannog or lake dwelling on the lands of Mr. Miller, near that town. The erannog was unusually large, over 100 feet in diameter. It lay in a small bog-filled lake and would have been unnoticed by

any save a trained eye. On removing the peat the pilea and platform timbers were laid bare. The piling and orosa timbering was remarkably well done, untrimmed birch trees being chiefly used for cross laying, while oak was used for the stouter piles. The • finds ' were rather disappointing for so large a erannog. A large quantity of broken pottery of the nsual orannog kind was found, an iron axe of early form, and a few other articles of iron, a fragment of a comb, and Borne bronze harp pegs. It -would appear that the crannog had not suffered violent destruction, in whioh case a large number of relics might have been expected, but that the inhabitants had abandoned it, taking with them most of their implements and utensils. Mr. Plunkett has generously presented the whole of the find to the National Collection in the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. q ' GAL WAY.- Visit of a Distinguished American Prelate.— Bißhop Bernard M'Quaide, one of the influential dignitaries of the Catholic Church at Rochester, U.S.A., arrived at Queenetown about the middle of October from New York. He was met by the Most Rev. Dr. Clanoy, Bishop of Elphin. Soon aftarwards he started by train for Galway, where a short time will be spent among his friends prior to Bishop M'Quaide making a visit to Rome. LIMERICK.— Tenants and their Landlords— Following up the writs served on several of the tenants on Major Ellis's estate at Kilconlea, Abbeyfeale, for rent and arrears, judgment has been recorded against them. At a meeting of the local branch of the U.I. League the Rev. Father Casey, P.P., presided. The tenants attended to place their grievances before the meeting, and unanimously expressed their determination to sell their cattle and effects and submit to every sacrifioe until their offer to purchase their holdings had been accepted. It appears some time ago the tenants offered to purchase their holdings at 15 years on the rental, a proposal which the agent stated he would formally submit to Major Ellis after the tenants had paid the gale of rent then due. The tenants oomplied with this condition, and on repeating their offer, which they improved by offering 16 years, the landlord intimated he could not entertain it. They consequently refused to pay further rent until their proposal was sanctioned, and then followed the service of writ on six of the tenante. LOUTH— Appointment of an Archdeacon— Rev. Patrick Segrave, pariih priest, Faughart, has been appointed by Cardinal Logue, pastor of Drogheda, Vicar-General and Archdeacon of the diocese of Armagh, in succession to the late Monsignor Murphy. MAYO.— A Pretty Stiff Fine.— A fresh initance of police persecution is reported from Mayo, where Mr. Peter Regan, a prominent member of the United League, has just been prosecuted by the police for having acted as a Poor Law Guardian while legally disqualified for auch a position because of some legal quibble. It is unusual, indeed unprecedented, outside of Ireland for the police to aFsume the role of prosecutors in such a case. But Mr. Regan's activity as a United Leaguer marked him out for police vindictiveness when any opportunity might arise, and so the persecution resulted in his being fined £35, a decision which on appeal the magistrates endorsed. The affair is likely to come up in Parliament, when the new House assembles. A Claim for Damages.— A highly interesting claim made by one Constable Waters was heard a few weeks ago at Ballinrobe. The constable claimed £1000 damages for injuries received in a riot. The Head Constable, whose order caused the riot, swore that he ordered the police to charge a crowd ' because he thought they were going to hold a meeting.' ROSCOMMON.— Death of an American Journalist.— Newß has beeu received in Roacommon of the death of Mr. John Breonan, editor of the Northwestern Catholic, Sioux City, Indiana. An American paper gives the following particulars of his career :— Mr. Brennan was born in Elphin, County Roecommon, July 14, 1845. He received his education in the national schools of hia native town. He came to the United States in 1865, and worked at any labor that presented itself, being in turn a farm-hand, porter, railroad grader, and ox-team driver during his first four years in America. In 1869 he became a newspaper reporter on the Bioux City Daily Time*, and Sioux City has been his home ever since. For five years he worked as a reporter, then he was a justice of the peace six years, a member of the city council one term, and oity attorney three years. In his vigorous daya Mr. Brennan took an active part in national politics, a«i a writer and as a campaign speaker. He was formerly a Democrat, but he left that party on the free trade issue, and until the past year he was an ardent Republican.' TIPPERARY.-The Tallest Man in the Constabulary.— The tallest man in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and probably in Ireland, is a Clare man, Constable Patrick Reidy, of Kilboy Station, Nenagh District. In his stockings he measures 6ft 7 \ inches, and being built in proportion, he is a magnificent specimen of Irish manhood. Even at a fair in a country town, where very tall men are by no means uncommon, Constable Reidy towers above the crowd and attracts universal attention. WATERFORD-— A Sad Case.- An evicted tenant and his wife hay« been sent to prison at Dungarvan for contempt of court, the •contempt.' consisting in grating a cow on their evicted farm. A. sad circumstance is that the man is insane and holds the delusion that he is still the occupant of his old place. WICKLOW — Death Of a Shipowner.— Mr Thomas Kearon, a well-known Arklow shipowner, was killed about the middle of October by falling into the hold of one of his vessels at Arklow The fatality caused widespread sorrow throughout the Wicklow coast Line, where Mr Kearon was a popular and respected figure,