Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 26, 28 June 1906, Page 9

Irish News

ANTRlM— Serious Fire The drapery shops of Messrs. 11. Carson and R. Milliken, Church street, Ballymena, were recently completely destroyed by fire. 2he brigade, with great difficulty, prevented the flames' further spread. Eight thousand pounds is the estimated damage. CORK— Appointed Dean Official intimation has been received from the Vatican that the Hply Father has been pleased to appoint Canon Michael Shinkwin, P.P., V.G., of St. Patrick's, Cork, to he Dean of the diocese of Cork. DUBLIN— The San Francisco Disaster A cablegram /has been received at the Gaelic League offices, Dublin, from Dr. Douglas Hyde, stating that he has returned five thousand dollars, collected for the Gaelic League in San Francisco, to Father Yorke, for the relief of the sufferers in that city. The International Exhibition At the last meeting of the executive council of the Irish International Exhibit ion it was reported that the Foreign Office had directed circulars to all the British representatives abroad instructing them to bring the exhibition to the notice of the Governments to which they were accredited, and asking that publicity be given to the undertaking. It was also reported that the Colonial Office had undertaken t"O convey in the colonial mail bags letters on th-a subject; of t v he exhibition to all the Governors of the British Colonies and Dependencies. Memorial to Mangan Many visitors to the R.H.A. Exhibition (says the Dublin ' Freeman") must have admired the beautiful head in marble by Mr. Oliver R.H.A., which •will form part of the memorial to Clarence Mangan, to be erected in Ste.; hen's Gretn. This head, which has been carved out of a solid bloc'c of marble, will be set into a pedestal eight and a half feet high, and on this pedestal will be plac.d a heroic bust of the poet in bronze. The head, which is intended to symbolise the spirit of poetry, is a fine piece of work, and the Clarence Mangan Memorial promises to be a noteworthy addition to Dub in monuments. Maynooth College Their Excellencies the Lord Lieutenant and the Countess of Aberdeen, accompanied by the Hon. Nevil Gordon, the Hon. Muriel Herschell, and the Hon. Grace Ridley, and attended by Lord Herschell and Viscount Anson, A.D.C., visited Mavnooth College the other day. Their Excellencies were received by the President and Vice-President of the College, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Lord Frederick Fitzgerald, and others. Subsequently their Excellencies were' entertained at luncheon, and afterwards visited the college buildings. The Moore Memorial The Moore memorial committee has accepted a tender for a Celtic cross to be erected over the poet's grave in Bromham churchyard, subject to the condition that the cross be completed, erected in place, and ready for unveiling not later than September next. The cost of the monument will be £220. It will be eighteen feet high, with a massive die, carved front and sides, moulded and paneled on back, and composed of the best quality of B&llrnasloe limestcne. KERRY— Estates Purchased Mr. Flavin, M.P., has received from Mr. Bryce a list of the estates in the County Kerry which have been purchased by the Congested Districts Board under the Land Act of 1903. Six estates in all have been so purchased, namely, those of W. L. Rae, S. M. Hussey, F. S. Colles Sandes, J. E. Butler, Captain Burns Hartopp, and trustees of R. G. Allantcn Winn. The total area of the- six estates is 42,110 acres of a yearly valuation of £6509. The yearly rental was £6636, the purchase money £146,348, and the bonus £1fi,562. In the case of the last three mentioned estates no agreements have have toeen executed, but the terms of purchase have been settled. LIMERICK— Turned to Better Use The Ctity Prison at Limerick having been discontinued the building has been handed over to the Corporation 'by Mr. O'iSul'livan, Governor of the County- Prison, Alderman Joyce, M.P., the Mayor, accepted I/he building on behalf of the Corporation. It is to be used as a temporary school by ihe Christian Brothers, pending the building of their branch educational establishment in Bridge street.

Provincial Exhibition -The Munster-Oonnaught Exhibition will be held in Limerick on July 9. It will be opened by., the Lord Lieutenant-, the patron of the Exhibition, who will be accompanied by the Couatess of Aberdeen. The president is the Earl of ' Dunraven, and the chairman' and vice-president is the Mayor of Limerick, Alderman Joyce. The-Bishoi s of Limerick, Galway, Killaloe, and Ross are amongst the vice-presidents. His Grace the Archbishop of Cashel, his Grace the Archbishop of Tuam, and the Bishops of Kerry, Clonfert, Waterford, and Cloyne are amongst the general committee. Representative committees have been appointed for the counties of Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Roscom- . mon, SUgo, Tipperary, and Waterford ; and a ladies' committee is at work, in charge of cottage industries and some of the sections for textile exhibits. The display of Irish manufactures at the exhibition will be large and fully represent/at ive of the industries of the West and South. Exhibits are also accepted from the other provinces, so as to secure a fitting display of the productions of the country in general. TIPPERARY— SaIe of an Estate Negotiations for thel sale ot Mr. George Langley's estate at CoaMrook, near Thurles, have been completed, the terms of purchase being 2H years in non-ijudicial rents. The estate is extensive, containing upwards of 2000 acres and embracing se.cn townlands. Words of Encouragement His Grace Most Re». Dr. Fcnnelly paid his second triennial visit to Tipperary en Sunday, May .6, and administered the Sacrament of I. cnfirination to 500 children. At last Mass he addressed an exceptionally large congregation, and spoke of the pleasure it afforded him to come amongst them fur the second time. His message to the people of Tipperary would be very brief, but he hoped it would arrest attention. Never in his experience for the past fifty years were the conditions of life in this corntry so difficult as they were presently. Some thirty years ago thay had insecurity of tenure, hi h rents, and clumsy methods of agriculture, but somt how th.3 people managed to middle along, to earn a fair livelihood, ?nd settle their families in the country. At the present time they had fixity of tenure, low rents, and impro\ed nethods of agriculture, and never! he-less the people were finding themselves unable to make a living in Ihur native land, and were firing away. And yet, in his opinion, a living was still to re made in Irelrnd, and he would point out how. Exceptions,! industry would enable the people to face the \ resent black o.itico'v and earn a decent livelihood in th.>ir own country, which was the happiest country in the world to live in, and the safest country to die in. WEXFORD— The Father Murphy Memorial Mr. Sheppard, the well-known Dublin sculptor, is engaged upon a monument to be erected in Enniscorthy to Ihe memory of Father John Murphy, of '98 fame. It is a bronze group of heroic-sized figures, representing a priest, who points the way with outstretched hand to a youth who holds a pike-handle on which a flag is fixed. GENERAL Parliamentary Fund Up to May 4, £5698 16s fed had been received for the United Iri.sh Parliamentary Fund, 19CG. Band Contest In a flute and drum band contest for the championship of Ireland at Newry, first prize went* to the John Mandeville Band, Belfast ; second to the Colonel Leonard Band, Drog,heia ; and third to the Argle Temperance Band, Belfast. Emigration During the first four months of this year nearly 10,000 men and women sailed from Queenstown for America. That there hes been a decrease in the number of emigrants of some 2000, as compared with the number for the corresponding .period of last year, is a gratifying fact. In view of the depleted population of the country, however, the decrease, although a marked one, is by no means as large as desirable. Moreover, the exodus from >_ Queens town just now appears to be increasing ; it certainly is most tiainful to witness. As a speaker said recently, it would seem as if ■ Ireland were merely rearing its young for exportation to America. Increase of Insanity The Royal Commissicn-~a.T)pointed to enquire in;fco the cafe and condition of* the feeble-minded? held a sitting on May 5, in Dublin, when Mr. Robert Blathe-

son, L.L.D., Registrar-General for Ireland, handed in. statistics showing an enormous increase of lunacy, in- the country. Ihe proportion of lunatics in Ireland in. 1861 was one in every 411 of . the entire population, while ~Ju 1^ 01 ** was one in ever y 178 - On e large factor in the increase was. the return of Irish emigrants from America when they had lost both health and. reason and were deported home. General Rates The total rates— poor rate, municipal rate and water rate— levied in Ireland -4ast year amounted to £2,952,771, a decrease of £40,537 oa the previous year. The Couuty Councils reduced their levy by £109 255 • while the Municipal and Urban Authorities increased theirs by £GB, 718. County cess and Poor rate are lower by nearly half a million than in 1898, the year before the Local Government Act came into operation. Even allowing for the share of the Agricultural Grant payable in relief of County cess, the figure represents a big saving, when it is remembered that out of the rates £35,000 a year is now provided for agricultural and technical instruction, and that the cost of administration was deliberately forced up by the Local Governnieot Boaid when the Act came into .force. The Poor rate levied in the rural districts last year was £65,000 less than in 1903-4. On the other hand, Municipal rates have increased toy £250,000 since 1808, or over 30 ncr cent. . * Exodus of Teachers In view of the exodus of some of the most efficient young teachers in Ireland to other countries, where their prospects are brighter than at home, the Provincial Council of the Clerical Managers of Connaught have passed a resolution demanding that the payment of Irish teachers be raised to the standard of English and Scotch ones. The Land Sub-Commissioners During the debate in the House of Commons on the vote for the Irish Land Commission Mr. John Redmond drew attention to the personnel of the Sub-Commis-sioners. These Sub-Commissioners (said Mr. Redmond) consist, with some exceptions, of broken-down landlords, retired military men, land agents, and political hangers-on cf the Tory Party. And it is monstrous when so much depends upon the proper working of the Land Act and for the successful carrying out of the policy, that its working should be given over to mere partisans. When the Chief Secretary came into office, 27 of these officers were going, out of office, and representations were made to the right hon. gentleman almost immediately calling attention to this important matter. We showed that the Commission had been steadily raising rents. We submitted the facts, and we impressed upon the Chief Secretary that the great majority of these men were greatly distrusted by the Irish people, and although we submitted" no names, we impressed upon the Chief Secretary the desirability of appointing men whose reputation for impartiality would give satisfaction. I think we had every reasor. and right to expect that the right hon. gentleman would have taken our advice and would have acted up to the pledge given in the-King's Speech Qf governing Ireland according to Irish ideas. On the contrary, however, the right hon. gentleman rejected our \ iews and disregarded Irish opinion in this matter, and, with the exception of five, ail those old Commissioners, who had been the merest toods in t-he hands of the landlord party, were reappointed. Ido not say that he ought to have refused to appoint all of them, but I do say that a large proportion of them were distrusted, and had been put into their position by jobs. The right hon. gentleman refused to reappoint fivey and I submit that by that action he has incurred jiust as much hostility from the landlord cUsses as if he had talen the courageous course and gone the full length. He has profoundly dissatisfied the people, and he has profoundly stirred the souls of the members for Ulster, who a* few weeks aa?o made the roof of the House- of Commons ring in their indignation, because a single one of their men had been removed from his position. I regret that the right hon. gentleman has disregarded Irish opinion on this important matter. ' ~