Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 17, 23 April 1903, Page 9

Irish News

ANTRIM.— A Big Graving Dock Belfast Harbor Commissioners have decided to proceed at once with the construction of a new graving dock capable of accommodating the largest vessel afloat. It is understood that the dock will be 850 ft long. ARMAGH.— The Work of the Christian Brothers In the ccmrse of an eloquent appeal in behalf of the Christian Brothers' schools in Armagh, the Very Rev Canon Quinn, of Magherafelt, drew attention to some points in connection with this self-sacrificing community that are too frequently lost sight of in the whirl of educational controversy. The very rev. preacher pointed out in respect of the improved condition of Irish national education, that while the Catholic clerical managers and the goad loyal Catholic teachers of the national schools are directly and primarily responsible for the improvement, the .Irish Christian Brothers are indirectly to be thanked for it. The number and success of the Brothers' schools in the principal cities and towns compelled the commissioners of education to give way and to modify their scheme and their rules. That the presence of the Christian Brothers has conduced much to the improved state of educational matters in Ireland has been acknowledged again and again by the Irish hierarchy, _who are the best judges in these matters. The work ol the Brothers, who are solely dependent on voluntary support, as they receive no State aid of any sort, has always been appreciated by the people of Ireland, and their periodic appeals have been generously responded to. A Hoax Some time ago a paragraph went the rounds of the anti-Irish Press to the effect that Hugh Carbery, a menvber of the Irish Brigade in the South African War, and to whose memory a monument was unveiled in Armagh last year by Mr. Michael Davitt, was alive and anxious that the memorial should be sold and tne money forwarded to him. The statement is declared to be a fabrication, as Carbery's death has been vouched for by an eye-witness of the event. DUBLIN. Death of a School Teacher An Irish exchange reports the death in Dublin of Miss F. Magennis, one of the oldest female national teachers in Ireland, at the age of 88 years, fortified by all the rites of the Catholic Church, of which she was a devotefcpmember. She belonged to one of the most gifted families in the North of Ireland, her father, who was a very clever mathematician and an uncompromising Catholic and Nationalist, ha\ing taken a prominent part in the Repeal and other movements. Her mother, who was a Presbyterian, but a sincere convert to the religion of her family before her death, was a lady possessed of a high order of intellect, and wrote some fine verses of poetry. The present venerable Dean Benningham, PP , Carrickmacross, received her into the Church, and assiduously attended her on her deathbed She loved her country intensely, and fa%ored every movement for its national regeneration. To the late Miss Magennis, who had the care of her for many years, was to a great extent due her conversion to the Catholic faith. Miss Magennis had varied episodes in connection with the National Board. She taught the Anngallon (parish of Clontibret) National school, County Monaghan, of which the Rev. T. Tierney, P.P., who was one of the '48 traversers, was manager, and she subsequently was for some time teacher of the Shantonagh (Cas'tleblayney) National school, in which she was desired to give Protestant teaching, prohibited by the Bishop (then Most Rev. Dr. McNaljly). She refused to do so, a,nd the result was her dismissal The ' Dundalk Democrat,' then edited by Jos. Carton, printed several articles on that matter, and inaugurated a testimonial to Miss Magennis, which was popularly taken up. The Irish Language On February 17 (says the Dublin ' Leader ') there was a notable gathering of the Gaels at St. Mary's University College, Donnybrook, when the College Literary Academy and Debating Society held a meeting of a kind unique so far in the annals of the institution. For it was all in Trish, not a syllable of English being heard till the meeting reluctantly adjourned The minutes of the previous meeting were read in Irish by a young lady of the college The immediate caus,e of the* gatheringwas a paper by Miss M. O'Kennedv. B A., an alumna of St. Mary's She chose a theme ' whose infinite variety age cannot wither nor custom stale ' — the legendary glories, if legendary they be, of the Red Cross, and, clothing her ideas in exceedingly graceful language, sho not only plucked out the heart of the subject, but went straight to the hearts of a numerous and attentive audience Several prominent Gaelic Leaguers, from the central and other branches, were present and made admirable speeches. What was more remarkable, several of the college students, sweet girl graduates, and even younger pupils, spoke also, showing a praiseworthy command over the cadences of their ancestral tongue. All honor to the good Dominican Sisters, who, unaided and almost unencouraged, have brought matters to this splendid pass, and have so wrought that their pupils stand, cheerful and ready, on the threshold of life, with lamps well garnished, like those of the prudent maidens in the Gospel parable.

GALWAY — The New Member The new member for Galway, Mr. C. R. Devlin, is Canadian emigration agent in Dublin. He pledged himself to follow and vote with the Nationalist party in everything. r J LEITRIM — Proposed Railway £■ » Bil lu has been Promoted for introduction in Parliament for the purpose of making a connection between the Clogner Valley and the Cavan and Leitrim Light Railways by a link commencing at Maguire's bridge and terminating at the Bawnboy Road Station. That link would go through the counties of Fermanagh and Cavan and would be 21 miles in length. At the further end of the Cavan and Leitrim line it is proposed to make an extension up the Arigna Valley, to connect them with the coal mines there and with other possible mineral developments In order to facilitate the Shannon tourist traffic and to connect them with a district of country which raises an enormous amount of stock, and with one of the largest stock fairs in the country, it has been decided to continue the Cavan and Leitrim line from Dromod to Ruskey on the Shannon. The tourist traffic could then be brought from that part of the country to Lough Neagh, to Carlingford, Lough Rostrevor, and on round to Kilkeel and Newcastle. LIMERICK. A Coercion Prisoner Mr. Jeremiah Buckley, proprietor of the ' Limerick Leader, has been released from Limerick Prison, before his sentence of four months' imprisonment under the Coercion Act had expired. Other Coercion Act prisoners who were also released at the same time, and under similar circumstances, were Mr. McTernan, T.C., from Sligo Gaol, and Messrs. Lohan and Finnerty, from Galway Gaol. A Writ It is reported that a writ has been served ,pn the Limerick Corporation and the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, under the following circumstances : A member of the Corporation recently drew the Council's attention to the fact that a workman employed in erecting machinery at the Electric Power House was not recognised by the local guild of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. He was subsequently dismissed, and he has issued a writ against the Corporation and the Society as co-defendants to recover £50 damages. WEXFORD. Catholic Holy days The general desire to ha-ve the feast of St. Patrick observed as a National holiday in Dublin reminds a correspondent of an Irish exchange that not only St. Patrick's Day, but also every Catholic holy day of the year, has been -observed throughout the diocese of Ferns-«^em-bracing the whole of County Wexford, with a few parishes in county Wicklow— for almost 30 years past. On January 20th, 1874. the zealous Bishop Furlong, of Feins, the founder of the House of Missions, Enniscorthy, called a meeting at Enniscorthy, as a result of which a diocesan legislation was agreed to that all Catholics of the diocese, more particularly those concerned in the sale of intoxicating drink, should close their places of business on all holy days of obligation. This diocesan law has been religiously complied with ever since, and it is gratifying to add that non-Catholics throughout the dioceso also followed suit, with the result that all shops are closed on the greater feasts of the year. The saintly Bishop Furlong died at St. 1 Peter's College, Wexford, on No\ ember 12th, 1875, and was succeeded by an equally determined advocate of temperance, Dr. Michael Warren, who founded a great Total Abstinence SociJty on the Ist of November, 1876. WICKLOW.— The Men of '98 The statue to the memory of "Father Murphy and his followers who fell in the Battle of Arklow on the 9th June, 1798, is now complete, and the committee has fixed Sunday, the 28th June next, for the unveiling. The statue is a very fine specimen of Dublin art, and reflects great credit on all concerned. It is only natural that an enormous gathering should be anticipated at the unvriling ceremony. Many Americans have signified their intention of being present, including at least two members of the Congress, the Hon. James Muntown and the Hon. James Rooney. GENERAL Lord Spencer on the Situation Speaking at a luncheon at the Birmingham Liberal Club Earl Spencer said there was a strong feeling amongst Liberals as to the conduct of the Irish Party in -. oting against them on matters which they believea to be of the utmost importance. He regretted such conduct, but he was not surprised at it. If the Irish Party had a otod with the Liberals on the Education Bill they would have gone against principles which they and their religion held in the greatest love and admiration. He thought, however, that they had done things which were exceedingly unwise, and which aroused the antipathy of the English j»eople during the war. That was one of the signs of bad government which they wanted to cure. Ireland could only be satisfied by a measure of selfgo'Nernment, but anything like such a measure was very distant. It would be imprudent of any politician to try and bring it forward. He always believed it was more probable that the Unionists would carry such a great measure for Ireland than that the Liberals would. Motor-Car Race The Bill for the holding of the great Gordon-Bennet Motor Race in Ireland (says the ' Freeman's Journal ')

has passed triumphantly through Parliamentary shoals and quicksands and reached the safe harborage of a third reading. So the race is now assured. French experts concur with the British in the view that an excellent venue has been selected. If the roads are in some parts Of the course narrow and the curves sharp the reliability as well as the speed of the car will be the more effectively tested. The race will undoubtedly bring motors and motansts apart from the racing machines in this country. It will mean money to many industries. But perhaps the greatest advantage of all will be the stimulus afforded to the scientific making and mending of roads. Lord Rosebery's Views Speaking at Paisley Lord Rosebery said, that in a speech at Paisley 17 years ago he urged that Ireland should be treated as they would treat England, placing her on the same footing with regard to local government and the like, and if they made any difference making a difference in the matter of generosity on account of Ireland's long suffering and ancient oppression. The policy he then ventured to advocate was now being carried out. The main causes of the Liberal party's failure in the present to impress the country with itself were not those two questions of Ireland and Empire of which he treated in 1895, and, therefore, it was not difficult to reflect whether it would not be possible when the hour of power might be approaching to frame a policy which was not necessarily that which suited the country 12 years ago. His Lordship advocated some strong reconsideration of policy, some new methods and fresher ideals to enable the Party not merely to acquire greater strength, but to be in a position of more sympathy with the country. A Challenge Speaking at Bradford recently, Mr. Wanklyn, M.P., said the action of Sir George Bartley, Lord Hugh Cecil, and Mr. Lan Malcolm, in the matter of the writ for Galway, was contemptible. All their mandarins had joined hands to prosecute Colonel Lynch for treason, but they had neither the moral nor the political courage to proceed against Professor Bryce for sedition. Lawyers of good standing had given it as their opinion that Professor Bryce, in publishing in a foreign journal in December, 1899, during the war, an article which contained an indictment of his country— an appeal for the intervention of foreign Powers, and an incitement to the Dutch of the Cape to rise— had undoubtedly been guilty of a serious act of sedition. The Lord Chief Justice had said that of late years there had been too much belittling of treason and sedition, and last week he (Mr. Wanklyn) had demanded of the Cabinet that they should either institute proceedings against Professor Bryce or release Mr. Lyn^h. Let it not be said there was one law for rich and powerful and another for poor and obscure. Justice should be impartially administered. Railway Reform The debate initiated by Mr. O'Mara in the House of Commons on the question of railway rates in Ireland elicited a significant statement from Mr. W.Midham. The Chief Secretary fully acknowledged the vast importance of the subject, and in effect ga\e a pledge that as soon as the land controversy was finally settled (which he hoped would be at once) the Government would deal with the question of railway rates in Ireland. His pronouncement was. of course, a guarded one, but lie pa\e it to 1 c understood that he is inclined to favor a scheme by which the rates would be automatically and conipulsorily reduced nrd the railway companies be guaranteed a certain dividend until the reduced rates will biing about a volume of traffic sufficient to pay the usual dividend. Such a reform would, needless to say, be of incalculable value to the trade and industries of Ireland. A Step towards Home Rule Mr. John Motley, M.P., speaking at Montrose last week, protested against the cost of militarism and the spendthrift, demoralising extravagance of the Government, which he declared was extraordinary. The new Irish Land Bill was a confession that the resolute government of Ireland was an abject failure. He agreed with Mr J. F. Hedniond, M.P., that the settlement of the land question would be an enormous step towards Home Rule. A Praiseworthy Scheme Through the instrumentality of Mr. Joseph Maguire, barrister-at-law. a praiseworthy scheme has been set on foot for the maintenance and training of a number of girls from the congested districts for domestic scr\ ice in Ireland. The idea was started by a philanthropic lady, who does not w r ish her name to be disclosed : and at her roquest Mr. Maguire is publicly identifying himself with the project and will superintend its initiation The foundress of the home is a lady of independent means, and is prepared to advance the travelling expenses of young women who come from the country to qualify for admission. This money is to Le paid back by the girls in successive small instalments when they were provided with situations Until they obtain employment, and while beine: trained, the candidates will fe boarded free of charge The condition is that they shall only look for places in Ireland — of which theie are always an abuiv dance vacant — and in this wav it is hoped that the emigration of active young women will be checked in some degree.

Truth, however broad, is necessarily single-sided. Only falsehood presents two faces.