Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 6 February 1902, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM.— A Refusal. The Belfast Corporation has refused to make a grant to (he Mater Infirniorum, which is used as a public general hospital, although it has given a grant to the Royal Victoria Hospital. A Centenarian. A man named Robert Coulter, farmer, of Tobernaveen, near Antrim whose death took place towards the end of November, was 102 years of age. He always had 'excellent health, and lived in three centuries being born at the end of the eighteenth. He was- once married, his wife dying a few years since. He leaves grown-up great-grandchildren. During the past summer he was able to attend the light duties on the farm, and his mind was clear up to a few days before his death. The interment took place in Donegore cemetery. DONEGAL.— A brave doctor. The members of the medical profession in this country, and, in fact, all Irishmen, (writes a Dublin correspondent) may well feel proud of the late Dr, Smyth, of Burtonport, County Donegal, who died recently, and also to his predecessor, Dr. Sullivan, a son of Mr. T. D. Sullivan. Both gentlemen died martyrs to duty. Owing to the terror nspired by the typhus scourge, they found it impossible to obtain any lay assistance in the place. Day after day, in storm and calm, Dr. Smyth, unaided, rowed his own boat to Arranmore Island, some four miles distant. There he acted both as nurse and doctor to the afflicted people, who lived in hovels unfit for human beings. At length, seeing that their only hope of recovery lay in removal to the mainland, with the assistance of Dr. Brendan McCarthy, a son of the late Mr. Denis Florence McCarthy, he brought them to the boat and rowed them to the shore, where they are now on the road to recovery. Dr. Smyth caught the contagion, and died, leaving a widow and eight young children to mourn his loss. Dr. Sullivan acted a similarly noble part. When no aid could be had, with his own arms he lifted the poor patients from their miserable huts, placed them on his car and drove them to the hospital. He, too, paid the penalty of his unselfish devotion to duty with his young life. In this materialistic age such noble acts deserve wide publicity. DUBLIN. — An Anniversary. The anniversary of the death of Father Mathew was suitably celebrated in the Memorial Hall, Church street, Dublin. Father Murphy, the distinguished president of Blackrock College, was the lecturer on the occasion 1 . Among those present were Mr. John Dillon, M P., and Mrs. Dillon, who who is a niece of the great apostle of temperance. An eminent scholar dead. The death is announced from Crumlin, County Dublin, of Professor O'Looney, an eminent Jrish litterateur, but too slightly known to the present generation. Mr. O'Looney was a native of Clare, and belonged to a generation of Irish scholars who have passed without leaving an adequate succession of their peers. The colleague of O'Curry and O'Donovan, the friend of Aubrey De Vere and Smith O'Brien, the collaborator of Newman in his effort to found an Irish University, O'Looney manifested all through his long life a devotion to the study of Irish antiquities which won him an enduring place in the ranks of Irish scholars. Unassuming and assiduous in his research he did work of greater value than many of his contemporaries were aware of, and his demise makes Ireland the

poorer for the loss of a gifted and .scholarly son. v, GALWAY. -Threatened eviction. Five parish priests in County Galway, the pastors of New Inn, KilUilla, Cappanagle, Aughrim, and Ballymacward, have addressed a memorial to the Chief Secretary for Jre land appealing for his influence to persuade a Galway landlord. Lord Ashtown, from carrying out a crusade of eviction upon which his Lordship has just entered. There is no trouble about rent, his rents have always been punctually paid. There is no agitation ; till now there has never been reason for any. Lord Ashtown has decided to evict for some occult reason, and evict he will. Notices have been served and one eviction already executed. The victims are Catholics, and as his Lordship is replacing them by Protestants, religious animus in the district is adding its fuel to the flame of anger -rising, at the cruel miustice contemplated. The parish priests foresee an angry revolt, and anxious for the peace of their flocks, they appeal to Mr. Wyndham to stay Lord Ashtown 's hand. KERRY.— Death of a Religious. The death is reported of Rev Brother George, O I- M.. who passed away in the e.irlv part of December at the Franciscan Convent, Killarney. Brother George, who was a son of Mr. John Buckley, Listowel, was born in 1833, and entered the Order at Killarney 30 years ago, where he remained, except for a few years spent in Manchester, London, and Glasgow. LIMERICK.— Over a century. The announcement of the death of the oldest man in County Limerick, Mr. James Howard, of Derrawlin Ballingarry, at the age of 108 years,' has been received all over the district with feelings of cegret. Up to only two years ago he was a constant spectator at the assembly of the County Hunt Club when" the members met at Garryfin fox covert, And participated m' the sport as acti\ely <is those who were not half his great age. Jn the autumn of 1899, being then 3 ott years old, he with his own hands cut down his iield of corn. Sudden death. The Rev. Father Ileffernan, parish priest of Caherhne and Inch St. Lawrence, while engaged reading m his study at the Parochial House, took suddenly ill and died almost immediately. Deceased was in his 60th year, and had been $f2 years in charge of the united parishes of Caherline and Inch St. Lawrence, in the archdiocese of Cashel. Ho was held in the highest esteem by the parishioners. Tenants and hunting. A Limerick correspondent, writingregarding the tenants' determination to allow no hunting to take place over their lands until Messrs. White and Brown, who have gained a certain notoriety because of the harsh treatment of their tenants, had resigned from the Hunt Club says :—: — Messrs. T. D Atkinson and A. E. Bannatyne, who are at present acting for the Master (Mr Wise), with Captain White and Mr. John F. Power met at Mr. McCarthy's hotel, doom, a deputation representing the East and West Limerick League branches, and including Mr. John Coloman, Co. C. Mr. W. 7). Power, secretary to \Vest Limerick .native ; Mr. John Power, chairni.ui, ( > oom Board of Guardians; Mr J-. O Giady, Mr James ITjckt-y, RC ; and Mi. J. P. ."umdon, who ir.^ioduceil the deput.v.i >n to 'h» << mmittee of the Hunt Club. After fn interchange of views and several pourparlers, the question was adjourned, the members of the Hunt Club intimating they would let the deputation know their views of the matter on a date to bo named.

SLIGO.- A Memorial. The Catholics of Sligo at a public meeting resolved to -perpetuate the memory of the Most lleV 1 . Dr. Gillooly by erecting a suitable memorial Temperance Hall. WATERFORD.— A Windfall. It is stated on what appears to be very reliable authority that the sum bequeathed by the late Mr. T. N. Harvey, T.C., to which the Corporation of Waterford has been made residual legatees, amounts to between £3 5,000 and£lB,ooo. The residue is to be applied to the freeing or helping to free the Bridge of Waterford. If financial assistance is not required in this direction, the legacy or what part of it remains after applying it to the freeing of the bridge is to be devoted towards the extension of the usefulness of the Free Library of Waterford, by whatever means the Corporation of Waterford might consider most likely to benefit the citizens of Waterford. A liberal offer. Mr. J. Q-. Whitclaw, secretary of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railway Company, has written to Mr. Freely,, Town Clerk, Waterford, proposing to contribute £10,000 towards a free bridge ,across the Suir in Waterford provided his company are relieved of the obligation of constructing a foot way alongside the railway viaduct across the river. WESTMEATH.— An offer to sell. Mr. Charles O'Donaghue has offered to sell his extensive estates in Westmeath to his tenants. .He is one of the most popular-l andlords in Ireland. WICKLOW, The ' Freeman's Journal ' reports with regret the death of Lady Cochrane, wife of Sir Henry Cochrane, D.L., which sad event occurred, after a prolonged illness, at Woodbrook, Bray. The deceased lady, being khidlv and charitable, was deservedly popular with all classes in the community, and will bo long mourned by all who knew her. GENERAL. Irish Butter. Writing on the display made by the Irish co-operative dairies at the dairy show held in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, the London ' Daily Mail ' has the following :—lt: — It is the proof that by such methods butter can be produced at a price and of a standard so consistent as to gain and hold the market — even to the worsting of Continental rivals, so long and still so successful in their quest of English gold. As a matter of fact, the exhibits of the Irish cooperative dairies have practically swept the board of the prizes. In fresh butter (class 56) the five prizes and the one ' highly commended ' fall to Irish co-operative dairies. For 'mild-cured butter' these dairies take the first three prizes ; and in the two classes for 'cured butter ' all five prizes of each class have been won by the co-operative dairies. The result is a triumph for the co-operative system, and shows that what has been in Denmark can also be done in the British Isles. Mr. John JVI Oubridge, who is judging for the butter championships this year, and is well known as one of the greatest authorities in EngEngland, stated that the growth of the industry has also been phenomenal. Irish butter has now attained such a standard, and, owing to tho methods employed, is so uniform in flavor and type that it can easily compete with the most popular Danish product. Indeed, the Danes have already taken alarm, and Mr. Oubridge has had inquiries addressed to him by Danish consuls here anxiously asking if the Danish butter can be improved in any particular, and in what way Irish butter is as good or better. A £500 challenge has just becMi laid for a trial test be-

tween Irish, and Danish butter. On behalf of tho Trish creameries, the Irish Co-operative Agency ".Society, which has 4ts headquarters at Limerick, and shipping branches in London and elsewhere, has accepted the challenge,' and only its London .-representative heard from the. Danish societies, which had been slow to entertain the idea, that they would compete. In England as -yet no serious attempt has been made to deal with the agricultural problem by co-operation ; but the_ example of Ireland shows what can be donetuid how soon it can be done. For in 1890 there was only one , creamer" in all Ireland. In the following year there were 19. In 1892 they rose to 30, and to-day there are no fewer than 200 co-operative creameries, with 40 odd auxiliary establishments As an intelligent dairy farmer said : ' When we do the same in England, .good-bye to the foreigner's butter.' The Irish delegates. The Irish delegates to the United States and Canada met with an enthusiastic reception in both countries. The Boston meeting was held in the largest hall in the city, which was packed to overflowing. Jn Montreal a crowded meeting was held in the Windsor "Hall, and at Ottawa they were entertained at luncheon, among the guests being the Premier of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier ; the Hon. li. W. Scott, Secretary of State ; and the Hon. Clifford Siefton, Minister of the Interior. The delegates were subsequently driven through the city by the reception committee, 50 of whom accompanied them on the tour. At night a great meeting was hold in the llussoll Theatre. The building was crowded. The Canadian Premier, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, attended tho meeting, as did the Secretary of State and the Comptroller of the Household and Lord Minto's aide-de-camp hold and Lord Minto's aide-de-camp were also present. In Chicago over 6000 people attended the groat Irish demonstration in the Chicago Auditorium. The Massachus.sets Legislature conferred its freedom on the delegates, who were later on ollicially received by President Roosevelt. Harvesters. Formerly thousands of Irishmen went to England and helped to gather the grain harvest. The general nse of machinery, however, after a time, checked the annual immigration. This autumn (pays the 'Leeds Mercury') witnessed a partial reramption in connection with potato-picking in the Lincolnshire Fens. Of the importance of the Irish labor, it is staled by a farmer that 20 men in as many days earned £83 at such work. In that time they picked 83 acres of potatoes, representing, at a moderate estimate, eight tons per acre. Each Irish worker would earn about is 2d a day. In the Holbeach district, where potatoes are more extensively grown than probably anywhere in England, some large gangs of pickers have been at work. On one farm alone, where the crop was bought by a London firm, 130 pickers were at work one day.