Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 22, 28 May 1903, Page 9

Irish News

OUR IRISH LETTER.

(From our own correspondent.) Dublin, March, 1903

A Big Wind

And there are still some alive who recollect the big wind of 04 years ago, a hurricane such as \ibitt> our mild atmosphere only once in several generations. A few weeks ago, just such another fierce tempest visited us, and there were few hearts unshaken by the terrors of a night such as none of us had ever experienced before. The devastations witnessed next morning were appalling in every spot that lay in the line of each terrific gust of wind : chimneys down, roofs torn off, walls overthrown ; as for trees, another generation will have grown up before the havoc amongst trees in every part of Ireland can be repaired. The pride of Dublin was the timber in the Phoenix Park, the finest public park in Europe. Each early summer, in the lovely month of May, thousands Hocked out to enjoy the beautiful sight of the park hawthorns in full bloom. It was just as if all the white blossoms in the whole world, had gathered together for a may ing here, as if millions of vouug maidens in white were holding revel on the green sward, while the great forest trees, m their freshest green in honor of the May, looked on, like fathers and mothers enjoying the tender beauty of their lovely, flower-decked children. The morning alter the storm, in the Park alone 1400 of those forest trees lay low and 1700 of the beautiful hawthorns, so loved by our citizens, were torn up, never again to don their white May crowns.

Fortunately the wind blew off land, so that we had no wrecks along our eastern shore to add to the terrors of that night, and there were no deaths, although there were many miraculous escapes from falling houses and chimney-stacks , we consequently escaped with monetary losses and the beauty of innumerable plantations spoiled, while the old saying, ' it's an ill-wind blows no one good,' is verified in increased employment for the poor and the amount of firewood the latter have obtained even near the cities. I notice some strange freaks of wind : this district was once tho port of Dublin and was guarded by seven massive castles built about eight hundred years ago ; of these castles three remain, in a more or less mined condition, (he chief rum having been caused by the hand of man. Theie are also the remains of a "very ancient church. While modern roofs and windows and walls were scattered like chaff before the wind, not a stone was displaced in the old castles or church. A. beautiful tree lay along the ground in one spot, its roots torn up and bare, vet clumps of little primroses nestled in the soil close by, perfectly unhaimed, their yellow blossoms smiling away in the sunshine that succeeded the night of turmoil and rain ; a fine house stood half unroofed, its glass houses one mass of wreckage, while close by a crazy little summer-house, old and roofed with cork, remained, seemingly in better condition than before the storm ; a tall stack of chimneys crushed in through a roof, within a few yards, a jaunty little flag-staff as upright as ever ; huge elms prostrate, fragile daffodils, gay and unhurt, swinging their pietty heads to and fro in the grass beside the fallen giants By a curious coincidence, we had not had ' Macbeth ' m Dublin for many a long year . two days after the storm it was given, and T went to see that giand play for the first time in my life. There was an audible laugh heard through the th'eatte when the actor spoke the lines describing the stormy night ' Where we lay, the chimneys were laid low ' Those who did not know the text seemed to think the lines were a topical allusion introduced by the actor.

The National Festival

Never was St. Patrick's Day celebrated in Ireland so fittingly as this year The 'people have determined that the feast of our great saint shall no longer be held as if these wore still penal dnvs, but that it shall be kept as a genuine religious and national festival, and, with this end in \iew, strenuous efforts were made to induce all publicans throughout the country to close their bars. Unfortunately, the Government will not give us a law compelling this closing on Sundays and holidays, therefore, moral suasion is the only force available. Happily, this moral suasion was so effective on last St. Patrick's Day that in many towns and country districts not alone were all other business premises closed, but all public houses refrained from opening, in compliance with the requests of the Catholic clergy and of the Gaelic League, and even in Dublin about one half of the licensed premises wer_e shut ; consequently, the ' drowning of the shamrock ' was almost totally neglected, to the great benefit of the community nnd the joy of all true lovers of their country As for tho wearing of the national emblem, unless care is taken each year henceforth to re-seed the sod, I fear the genuine plant will quickly disapjvear, for this Patrick's Day the wearing of the green meant that most people sported what looked like whole acres of trefoil, and if the exportation at all equalled the preparations indicated by the thousands of pretty boxes in florists' and fancy goods' shops, why, shamrock-growing on a big scale will have to be adopted on some national farm, or the plant is doomed.

«,.«^tel ?/ S **°- a youn X Irish soldier was severely punished for appearing on parade with St. Patrick's leaf m u } L + C h P -.££ ls 7* ar aya v Bill is P assed in Parliament making the 17th of March a public holiday for all Ire-

Expected Visitors.

P,,Si»t In * sh 8111 has just been P assed through Pai lianient. It is to enable a great international motor car race to be held in Ireland, and this race of the wealthy is to come off in summer in the midland counties over a. course of about 200 miles, the Gordon-Ben-nett Cup to be competed for on the second day This event will of course, bring over American, English, and French millionaires (it is easier to be a millionaire in Trance than anywhere, for it only means francs) by the score, we can see them in dozens with the naked eye-? think of it ! 1 must say that as regards these golden men and women, I am as I was with regard to kings and queens when 1 was a child. I now know that a S king goes about the world in a common hat, and it is most uniair that he should do so, but the men who are made of guinea gold and dollar gold should be obliged by a special clause in this special Act of Parliament, to have gold hats or gilt moustaches, or something by which the crowd can know them during the coming summer t i R !\ al have no elld of si^ hts Provided ior us in Ireland this season. There will be all these wealthy and of course remarkably refined and elegant strangers male and female, motoring and otherwise touring all over the country in flocks or in coveys, like golden pheasants. If all goes well with the Land Purchase Act, we sha 1 see the King and Queen in July or August We aie to have the Cork Exhibition this summer again only ten times prettier and more inviting than it was' last summer ; let us hope it will do as well financially as on the last occasion. Then there will \ye a variety of motor boat contests on the water in different places, and of cotnse, the world-renowned autumn Horse Show, which is also a great lady, show, or rather, thousands of lames trot out wonderful costumes on view ■ and so on, and so on, enough to make us forget the real end of man altogether.

Workhouse Reform.

However, all the world is not bent on vain pleasures alone. There are still a goodly number whose happiness lies in striving to make the lot of others better One of the many schemes on foot towards this end is a much needed and praiseworthy effort to reform, in a measure at least, the pernicious workhouse, or poorhouse system of this country ; a system that was never suited to the country, a system by which a staff of officials get e\ery comfort out of the heavy tax iznposcd for the maintenance of the destitute, and these latter, the old, the young, the sick, and the imbecile, are imprisoned in nnseioblc cara\ ansanes, whei c few indeed are their comforts and many their woes. Not the least of these woes is the heiding of the idle, the worthless, the depraved with those decent poor. It is one of the sores of these cold houses that innocent childhood is not sufficiently protected from evil companionship An association has been formed amongst catnest-minded Catholics and I'rotestants, clergy and laity, the object of which is to make these refuges less bleak for the aged, to take away yoJung children altogel her fiom their influence by boarding the little ones out sopaiately in decent families where they will get oveiy chance of becoming honest, worthy members of society, besides being a far less tax upon the public ; to make the hitherto idle workhouses deserve their name by obliging all able-bodied inmates, ami even casual dwellers, to woik at some really useful employments and thus make them less of paupers and less of a, drain upon, the community , lastly, there is a scheme under consideiation for freeing harmless lunatics, such as idiots, by placing them also out to board in country districts, instead of the state of imprisonment that now renders the lot of these afflicted, vet at times very happy creatures, a miserable lot indeed It is only just to our poor to say that everywhere they rebelled against the ciuel law that shut away the poor ' innocents,' depriving them of the freedom that was the greatest joy of their darkined lives Pvestlessness is a part of the malady of idiots, and their wanderings from house to house, amongst well-known faces and where there was over a kind word of welcome for the ' innocent,' acted as a soothing influence, often as an almost rationalising influence upon the weak-witted, who were looked upon by our simple, kindly country people as lucky, as bringing a blessing upon a house and village, and I have often heard the peasantry speak very regretfully and bitterly of the poor fools having been taken away and locked up In truth, it is sincerely to be hoped that the association for the improvement of the poorhouse system will succeed in ita will-meant efforts.

Archdiocese of Tuam

The newly-elected Archbishop of Tuam, the Most Rev. Dr. TToalv. is making a visitation of his new diocese and is everywhere received with ereat warmth. His Grace is a man who will well fill the place left vacant by the death of the much-regretted Archbishop Croke. He is an ardent Irishman who goes in stronoiy for peasant proprietorship, is a gifted speaker, a learned man. a wellroad archaeologist, and a graceful writer One of his works, ' Early Irish Christian Schools and Scholars,' is amongst the most delightful and valuable works of our time. M.B.

COUNTY NEWS

ANTRIM.— Death of a Belfastman

The death is announced from Bangor of Mr. Edward *uiien, K.C.S G. a lately created Papal knight, who received from the Holy Father the dignity of knighthood on account of his benefactions to the Catholic Church m Belfast, where he had a successful business career. Mr. 1« ullen died in his 60th year.

CORK.— A Royal Prize Winner

At the Sp,nng Show of the County Cork Agricultural bociety the- King earned off two /ust-class puzos in the short-horn class with animals from the Windsor laiiu.

DUBLIN.— Honor for a School

The Commissioners of Education have awarded the Carlisle and Blake Premium ' (the Blue Ribbon of the National Board) to the Josephian National School in connection with St. Joseph's Orphanage, Mountjoy street, Dublin, in recognition of its superior organisation and high standard of efficiency.

A Royal Visit

It was reported in Dublin before the last mail left that the Lord Lieutenant had been authorised to announce that their Majesties the King and Queen intend to visit Ireland during the coming summer, in tho month either of July or August.

A New Church

On the last Sunday in March the Most Rpv. Dr. Donnelly. Bishop of Canea, presided over a meeting of his parishioners, called with the object of raising lunds to erect a church in Greystones on the site of the old one, which had been destroyed by the recent violent ston*r. His Lordshrp, in opening the proceedings, gave an interesting history of the growth of Catholicity in Greystones, and referred to the lact that some years ago there was only one family of Catholic visitors in that beautiful watering place. At the close of tho meeting Dr. Donnelly said they had received £100 from his Grace the Archbishop, which they should regard as the foundation stone This, with the money derived from the donation box at the little iron chapel, the sale of the debus, and the outside subscriptions, brought the amount up to £503. He thought it ought not to be difficult for the parishioners to top that with another £.500. He would subscribe £50 himself in order to encourage others.

GALWAY.— The Archbishop of Tuam

The Most Rev Dr. Healy (writes a Dublin correspondent under date April 3) is engaged in a visitation of the principal portions of the archdiocese, to which he has been recently appointed by the Holy Father. At Castlebar his (Jiace, m the course of a speech in the Town Hall, pa id an eloquent tribute to Father Lyons, the indefatigable paiish priest, and his faithful flock who have elected a chinch which l>r Healy desciibed as one of the nio.'-t leautilul and feifect in Ireland, one which it woviild be dilluult to find an equal to m any part of the three kingdoms in artisUic beauty and in perfection of pi oportions. Relerring to the remarks of certain superior people to the effect that Irish Catholics are spending too much money on building churches in the poorest parts of the country, Dr. Healy pointed out that the moral standard of these people is entirely different from ouis We follow, said his Grace, the Great Master, Who told us we should seek our beatitude not in the acquisition, but rather m the renunciation of wealth, and that we should seek our treasures not on earth, but in heaven ThO'-e superior people. added his Grate, sometimes tell us m various ways that material prosperity and what they call culture and progress ought to be regarded as signs of the true religion amongst a nation and a people If that weie a sound argument it would prove that aliment Greece and Rome had the truth and that the poor persecuted Jews of Palestine had none of the truth. As a matter of fact, the nun who would mal-p the acquisition of wealth and material progress the primary object of their lives, are found to be, ' caetons panbus,' moio successful than the people who make the kingdom of God the first obict of thenpursuits. If we are to seek where truth, virtue, and religion dwell, we will not seek in the luxurious dwellings of the lich, hut in the humble homes of the poor

KILDARE.— White Gloves for the Judge

At the Spring Q^aiter Sessions at Naas, before his Honor Judge Breieton Barry. XC , Mr Grove White, Crown Solicitor, stated at the sitting of the Court that thei c was no criminal business. His Honor, addiessing the jurors, congratulated them on the freedom of the county f i om crime Mr Dalv Sub-Sheriff, presented his Honor with the customary white gloves

KILKENNY.— Death of a Leading Citizen

Kilkenny has lost one of its ?>est known and most highly -esteemed citi/ens by the death of Mr 1* M ICgan, .1 P .' Borough Treasurer. Deceased commenced life as a National teacher, hut soon found employment under the National Board did not gi^e sufficient scope for his energies He went into t.ho printing and publishing business and produced illustrated histories of Waterford <mrl Kilkenny, as well as several educational treatises and .i novel called ' Scullvdom ' He was twice Mayor of Kilkenrw, after which he was elected Borough Treasurer, which position he li 1 led till his death.