A Noted Sydney Catholic Dead

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 22, 28 May 1903, Page 29

A Noted Sydney Catholic Dead

In our last issue our Auckland correspondent reported th.it word had been received by cable by the Very Rev. Dr. Egan, 0.5.8., that his brother-in-law, the Hon J I loohey, X C.5.0., MLC, Sydney, had passed away at Chicago on May 5 We take the following particulars ol the sad event from the Sydney ' Freeman's Journal ' : — Mr. Toohey was born in Limerick in 1837 and was brought to Australia by his parents when he was but a year old A sound education, with that robust mental training which came from intellectual patents, prepared the naturally resolute will of the youth to face the world without flinching or faltering In IH7O he, with his brother, the late Mr. James M. Toohev, established the business known since then as the Standaid Brewer > Success was with this undertaking from the first Mr Toohey and his brother- identified themselves with the social as well as the commercial life ol the city with which they had thrown in their lot. and n( once attained a popularity as genuine citizens whicn they ne\er lorfeited Up to last v, ear Mr. Toohey de\ oted considerable energy to the development of the business It was then formed into a limited liability comp.in\ , with Air Toohey as chairman. With every movement having for its objective the adv ancenient "of Irish National it \ he had for the [last HH years been prominently associated, lie was one of the local officials of the Irish Famine Helief Fund of 3 879-80, by which £.'!0,ooo was raised in New South Wales for the" suffering Irish peasants. To all surd movements he was a liberal -aibsc i lbei m cash as well as sympathy ; and no StPat nek's Day celebration committee in Sydney was complete without his co-opoia' ion Nor to his Church was Mv Toohey a whit 1< ss loyal than to the countries of ins bnth and Ins adoption Wh.it movement during the past genei.ttion for the promotion of Catholic and charitable obiects was without his generous and active coopeial'on'» Some nine v ears ago. on the recommendation oi the Cardinal, Mi Toohey was invested by the Soveieign Pontiff with the decoration of Knight Commander of St Cieaoiv the Cieat, and with the insignia ol that Order he took his seat at many an important tune t ion in St Mar-v \s Cathedral, the last great gathering in which he took part m that stately pile being the Aust i a l.isian Catholic Congress of 1900 'Mr. Toohey is s.ivivid by his second wife ("who is the sister of the Veiv he\ lh- Fgan, () S.I? . of Ponsonby, diocese of Auckland) Mr and Mrs Toohev had established a palatial home at Wahroonea. and lor years past ' Tnnisl.ul ' has been a centre not only of hospitality, but of charitable works During- the Congress celebrations in 1900 one of the most prominent and brilliant entertaiinrrents was the garden party given by Mr and Mrs. Toohe.v at ' Innisfail ' m honor of the visiting prelates." The lernains will lie brought on to Sydney by the Sonoma, which should reach that port about June 6