Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 51, 19 December 1901, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM.— A New Party.

The London ' Observer,' Tory organ though it is, lias no admiration for the Orange "brethren. A correspon- . dent of that organ has been visiting Belfast, and he reports the birth of the brand new Protestant party. ' Mr. Arnold-Foster,' says the ' Observer ' correspondent, ' should, it appears, have spent his parliamentary days and nights in looking after a gentleman named Trew, now doing 12 in< nths in Belfast Gaol for attemptin tr to create a religious war in that city. In the cause of Mr Trew, Mr. Arnold-Foster is to be sacrificed, so also is Sir James Haslett, and even poor Mr. Johnston, of Balykilbeg, is not to be spared. These men, according to the new party have basely betrayed the Protestant cause and must g" Whether the party has any real vitality I could not find out while in Belfast. It was plain, however, that the local Unionist leaders are very miid' upset over the development, which they may find it difficult to control.'

CORK.— The Exhibition.

Ninety per cent, of the_ applicants for space at the Cork Exhibition are Irish manufacturers. The Catholic Bishop of Cork and the Protestant Bishop of Cork and Waterford have written approving of the coming Exhibition as a project which will advance the material interests of Ireland, and develop the skill, energy,— and resources of Irish trading.

Across the Atlantic.

Mr. O'Brien Croker, manager of the Cork) and South Coast of Ireland Railway, who has been in New York for some weeks past, has forwarded to the Cork Press a letter containing important information in reference to the new steamship company which has been formed to cross the Atlantic in less than four days, with railway communications in America and in West Cork. The new company has been named the Ocean Rapid Tratisit Company, the objects of which are to construct and operate fast ocean vessels with suitable railway connections. The first line to be undertaken will be a ninety hour (3|j days at sea, twice weekly service from Narragansett Bay direct across the Atlantic to Berehaven, whereby in connection with the American and European railways and steamers, mails and passengers will be conveyed from New York to London under 4£days. The new steamers will be of the turbine class, and oil will be used as fuel, and put in ballast tanks in the bottom of the ship. The company will build six of these fast boats, the railway from Castletown to Bantry, the landing stage at Castletown, and portion of the works at Narragansett.

GALWAY.— An Award.

One of the most important awards in connection with the annual Brewers' Exhibition, which was held recently at Islington, England, fell to an Irish firm. In the competition for malting barley, for which there was a very large number of entries, Messrs. Persse, the well-known Galway distillers, were awarded a special silver medal and the ' Mark Lane Express ' diploma for a specimen of barley grown by Mr. P. Noon, of Cahernamadra. The judges expressed themselves intensely pleased with the quality of the exhibit, and, to mark their sense of gratification at the improvement in the specimens of Irish barley shown this year, they have decided to offer a special silver challenge cup for competition next year exclusively amongst Irish exhibitors. The judges hope by this means to foster a spirit of healthy rivalry amongst Irish growers which, they believe, cannot fail to have beneficial effects on the quality of the crop pro-

duced. In this connection they point out the great importance of growers planting their seed early in the year.

KlLDAßE.— Charitable Bequests

By her will, proved, with a codicil, by the Very Rev. Mgr. Tynan ond Mr Peter Kelly, of Newbridge, Miss Rosanna Kelly, of Newbridge, who died on July 4, left £30 to Mgr. Tynan for Newbridge parish church; £100 to the Prior of the Dominican College, Newbridge, for Masses for the repose of the soul of the testatrix and the souls of her parents ; £50 to the Rev. Mother of Newbridge Convent for the local poor ; and three further sums of £30 each for Masses for the deceased, her parents, and relatives.

KILKENNY. -An Appreciation.

Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., writes in ' M.A.P.' of Mr. M'Dermott's resignation in the following terms :—: — ' A more loyal, high-minded, and braver comrade no body of politicians ever had, and though 1 approve of his leaving politics to attend to his large business, I regard his disappearance from Parliament as both a political and a personal misfortune.

LIMERICK.— Mr. Carnegie's Gift

A public meeting was held recently at the Town Hall, Limerick, when Mr. Andrew Carnegie's letter was read offering to give a grant of £-7000 towards the erection of a free library, provided the annual local sum available for its maintenance was increased from £277 to £350. A site for the new building should also be purchased. On the proposition of Mr. Jas. Frost, J.P., chairman of the Library Committee, a resolution was unanimously adopted thanking Mr. Carnegie for Ms munificent donation, and promising to com ply with the conditions imposed. Arrangements were made with that object.

QUEEN'S COUNTY.

The Jeath took place during the last week in October, at the Presentation Convent, Maryborough, of Mother Mary Alphonsus. Deceased, who was in the 66th year of her age and the 37th of her religious profession, was a daughter of the late Mr. James Smith, Stockton-on-Tees. In early life she was a Protestant. Her conversion took place on the occasion of a visit to Limerick. She was received into the Church by Father Harbison, C.SS.R.

TIPPERARY.— RockweII College.

Rockwell College has added to its long roll of brilliant educational achievements another remarkable success. In a competition open to all the colleges of Ireland, including the highly-endowed university colleges, a Rockwell student, Mr. Leo Graf, has won a first-class scholarship in ancient classics, value £40 a year for three years. Mr. Graf had already distinguished himself by his manyprevious successes at the Royal University and the Intermediate, at which' he obtained first place in the Senior Grade two years ago. with two gold medals and an exhibition of £50. In addition to the above-men-tioned scholarship, Rockwell has this year obtained 5 exhibitions and 16 honors— 22 distinctions in the Royal University.

TYRONE.

On the recommendation of Viscount Charlemont, C.8., the Lord Chancellor has been pleased to appoint Mr. Patrick Treanor, of Pomeroy, to the commission of the peace for the county. Mr. Treanor is a very successful merchant, and since the passing of the Local Government Act has been one of the representatives of the Pomeroy Division on the Cookstown Board of Guardians and Rural District Council. The appointment of Mr. Treanor (who is a Catholic) is popular with all classes.

WATERFORD.

Intelligence reached Waterford about the middle of October of the death of

Rev. Edmund Stokes, which took place at Graff Reinet, South Africa, where he went about two years ago in search of health. He had a distinguished course in Maynooth College, and spent one year on the Dunboyne establishment, after which he secured the degree of B.D. at a public examination. His father was a near relative of the late Most Rev. Dr. Slattery, Archbishop- of Cashel.

WEXFORD.— Death of a Priest.

The death of the Very Rev. Canon O'Connor, V.I' 1 ., Ferns, was deeply regretted all over the County Wexford. Deceased ministered in many parts of the diocese, including Enniscorthy, where he spent 21 years, during which time he accomplished much for the social elevation of the people of the cathedral town. Workhouse Matron.

At a meeting of the Wexford PoorLaw Guardians it was resolved to appoint one of the Sisters of St. John of God Matron of the Union.

GENERAL.

Sour Grapes.

The ' Pall Mall Gazette,' unable to ignore or deny the progress of Mr. T. W. Russell's Compulsory Purchase movement in Ulster, falls back on the solace of deriding, it. ' There is no more selfish creature in the country,' it writes, ' than your Presbyterian farmer, who will support anybody who will give him something.'

Royal University.

An analysis of the Honors lists of the Royal University for the session 1900-1901 shows that among the successful colleges University College, Dublin, heads the list with a total of 63 distinctions. Queen's College, Belfast, has 58, and Queen's College, Galway, 26. Queen's College, Cork, which is subsidised to the extent of £11,000 a year, finds no place on the prize list. Loretto Convent, Dublin, has 17 distinctions ; St. Mary's, Donnybrook, 11 ; Rockwell College, 10 ; Clonliffe College, 9 ; and Blackrock College, 6.

Catholic Truth Society.

At the quarterly meeting of the Catholic Truth Society of Ireland it was announced that during the three months ending the 30th September 274,894 books were delivered to the branches of the Society ; 35 newbranches were established within the same period. The number of new books edited by the committee and issued from the Society's press within the past quarter was 26 in all. Half of these were devotional, historical, biographical, and archaeological, while the remaining half were stories, which are the class of books most in popular demand. The penny prayer-book of the Society, issued at the end of June, has had a sale of 42,500.

Teaching Irish.

The London School Board, in response to the request of the Plumstead branch of the Gaelic League, preferred by Mr. W. Bolger, have decided to grant facilities for the teaching of Irish in their evening continuation schools. The Board will pay for the services of an Irish teacher.

Services appreciated.

Prior to his departure for America Mr. John Redmond, M.P., was made aware of the hearty appreciation in which his services and those of the Irish Party on behalf cf the textile workers in England were held. He was the recipient of a warm letter of thanks from the chairman of the Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association expressing the gratitude of those employed in the cottonspinning industry throughout Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire for the services rendered their cause in Parliament when the Bill for the closing of the mills on Saturdays at 12 o'clock instead of one was being discussed. It was largely owing to the action of Mi-. Redmond

and of the Irish Party that this measure of relief was brought to the toilers in the English cotton mills. This boon, the chairman of the Association, Mr. Thomas Ashton, points out, had been sought by the mill operatives for ou years, and, accordingly, they passed a unanimous vote of thanks to Mr. Redmond and his colleagues for their assistance and support, which action, Mr. Ashton adds, will be long remembered.

Ireland's Resources.

According to statements made by Mr. Francis A. Iluter, a writer in the St. Louis ' Mirror,' the undertaking at Berehaven is to be the forerunner of a number of experiments by American capitalists in the development of Ireland's resources. The American financiers have, it appeal's, cast covetous eyes on the mineral wealth of the island and are convinced that it can be exploited with profit. That Ireland has valuable mineral deposits was proved many years ago by the investigations of Dr. Robert Kane. At one time the manufacture of iron was an important Irish industry. That was when charcoal was used for smelting. When wood became scarce the iron industry languished, though up to then Ireland's resources in ore had scarcely been tapped. The coal production, which is at present only about six per cent, of the country's annual consumption, might easily be increased. It is true that in some places Irish coal seams are thin and that it would not pay to work them in all cases, but with capital and good management the output could profitably be enlarged. Ireland has deposits of lead as well as of iron widely distributed, usually in the form of galenite. She has likewise copper and other minerals, with certain articles of commercial value such as salt and clays for porcelain and coarser pottery. American enterprise might unquestionably reap a rich harvest in turning this natural wealth to immediate advantage.

National Funds.

, Mr. Redmond, in a speech at Waterford, stated that since last June twelvemonth, when the United Irish League was adopted at a convention in the Rotunda, Dublin, as the National organisation, the people had subscribed to the Irish National cause a sum of considerably over £30,000— .£10,000 for the Election Fund, £9000 for the Parliamentary Fund, £6000 for the expenses of the two National Conventions, more than £5000 directly to the Central Directory of the United Irish League in Dublin, in addition to subscriptions for the local expenses of the branches of the United Irish League throughout Ireland, which are now more numerous than the branches of the Land League or of the Iri.«h National League ever were.

Police=made Crime.

Mr. Joseph Tully, M.P., writing to the Dublin ' Freeman's Journal,' states that the notorious Sergeant Sheridan, after protesting his innocence and proclaiming his burning desire for a trial, has quietly sneaked away to America, with connivance of the Castle, llis accomplice, Constable Reid, has, as Mr. Tully states, actually had his expenses paid by the Castle in his evasion of justice.

Mr. Thomas Sexton.

In well-informed Irish Nationalist circles it is believed that Mr. Thomas Sexton, ex-M.P., and now managing director of the ' Freeman's Journal,' will consent to come back to active political life in response to the urgent request of his old constituents in Belfast.