Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 17 December 1908, Page 27

Irish News

CORK — Winner of a Grand Prize

The Presentation . Convent, Youghaly was awarded - a Grand Prix at the Franco-British Exhibition in London for its beautiful needle-point lace and crochet. ' The' Presentation Convent, Ycughal, has long, been noted for its needlepoint. But it is one thing (says the Freeman's Journal) to be able to produce beautiful lace, and another to keep abreast of the times, advancing in perfection,, within its - own domain, so as to keep pace with the. inventive spirit of . modern times, and be considered worthy to rank amongst the Grand Prize winners of the "world. The competition:for ' pride of place ' in all branches between the two nations has been most keen. Moreover, it must be fcorne in mind -■ that France is par excellence the nation of exqiaisite and historic laces, in order to fully Understand the greatness of the victory achieved, and the intrinsic beauty and excellence both in workmanship and design to which the School of Lace at Youghal has attained. But it is not at the Franco-British Exhibition alone that Youghal needle-point has this year covered itself with glory. At the Exhibition of British and Irish laces organised by the Daily Mail, London, March, 1908, the gold medal for real lace was awarded to the Presentation Convent, Youghal, and at the Ideal Home Exhibition, organised by the same newspaper, the silver medal has just been won by a needle-point table centre worked at Youghal. Mitchelston Caves

A small band of scientific cave explorers have been employed in making an exhaustive survey of the remarkable caves at Mitchelstown, County Cork. The party include geologists, a botanist, and a naturalist. This is really the first time that x a thorough survey of these eaves has been attempted. "What are called the ' New Caves ' were discovered in 1883. They are very extensive, and include a great variety of chambers. The old cave consists of one immense chamber, and is tlie largest cave in the British Islands. It was in this cave that the White Knight captured the ' Sugan ' Earl of Desmond and sold him to Queen Elizabeth for £1000. He was conveyed to the Tower of London, where he died. There are many inscriptions in this cave, one going back to 1602, that is, four years after the capture of the ' Sugan ' Earl. DONEGAL— A Veteran

Ireland seems to have produced the doyen of old-age pension claimants in Charles Kelly, a county Donegal veteran, who is old enough to remember Trafalgar, and was a, full-grown man when Queen Victoria was cradled. There is no doubt that, whatever grievances Ireland may have, she cannot complain of her proportion of centenarians, who> at the last census numbered just under 500, or more than could be found in France, England, and Scotland combined. And even more remarkable than this number are the ages many of these centenarians reach. To take only one year's records, among the Irish centenarians whose deaths were recorded in 1905 no fewer than fourteen had seen 105 years or more, and of these eight had passed their 110 th . birthday. An Appointnjent For the second of late (says an exchange), the services of an Irish professor have been requisitioned by Catholic Americans for their Universities. The gap left at the Catholic University at Washington by the diplomatic appointment which sent Dr. Maurice Francis Egan to represent his country in Denmark was filled aif the ' end "of last year by the appointment of Mr. P. J. Lennox,, then Professor of. Modern - Literature at University College, Stephen's Green. It is now the turn of Mr. Seamus McManusto be summoned to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, as lecturer — not in Irish, but English.. Mr. * McManus, who is still in his thirties, was schoolmaster bf his native village of Slount Charles, County Donegal, prior to 1896, when he gave up his post to devote himself io literature. DUBLlN— Blackrock College Blackrock College, County Dublin, has scored again. Mr. Patrick Kelly, who was educated in that widely-known college, won the first place in. the United Kingdom at the recent examination- for Sur'veyorship of Taxes. Irish Leader Banqueted A banquet to welcome Mr. John Redmond and his~colleagues on -their return home from the American Mission was held in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, on Wednesday night, October 21. Mr. Redmond delivered a speech, in which he dealt with the position of the Irish cause in

America,, and expounded the policy jof tie Irish Party ..with regard to land' law reform. • Amorig;the', : other-speakers were Mr. John Dillon, Mr. John P. Hayden, Mr. John Fitzgibbon, the Lord . Mayqr ? ,of _ Dublin, and^ the ,, Mayor of Waterford. ' Interesting! messages were .received from the Archbishop of Cashel and other"' Prelates/- and from Mr. T..P. O'Connor., „, -,>;,.«: Madame Melba Entertained . . _ , ... ; , On the evening of October 26 the distinguished singer, ..Madame Melba, was entertained at dinner in the Gresham Hotel by the Corinthian Club. The .hour named- was 7 o'clock, and upwards of 360 guests assembled in the Aberdeen Hall of the hotel, which-baiely sufficed to accommodate the gathering. Ladies were present iir- large numbers. It was the most largely attended . dinner that the club had ever succeeded- in gathering -.under their auspices. The president (Sir Charles Cameron, C.8.) presided. Imperial Home Rule Association A correspondent of the Irish Times, hearing that a meeting of the -Imperial Home Rule Association had been - held recently, called on a prominent member of that body and asked him for particulars of the proceedings. - The gentleman in question replied that while the meeting was a private one, there were certain f acts^hat 'he, could communicate Avithout being guilty of any breach of_.confidence. The membership, he said, was over -200, and. was composed of noblemen, professional men, and merchants. - Asked why he would not give the names of the leading-s pirits in the new movement, he said : ' I cannot tell you" now/fo r reasons that must for tne present be kept a secret: We -shall, .how•ever, hold two meetings in Dublin soon." 1 You- will then, know the names, and some of them, I can assure you, will give you a surprise, familiarised though you must be with - metamorphoses in Irish poliical life.' LIMERICK— White Gloves At the opening of the quarter sessions for the city of Limerick, Alderman Prendergast, „ city sub-sheriff, addressing his Honor Judge Law Smith, said, in. ".the 'absence 'of the high sheriff, it afforded him much pleasure to present "him with a pair of white gloves, to symbolise the immunity of the city of JLimerick from any form of serious crime. The Mayor asked permission to say a word, in the absence^ of the high sheriff, in reference to the satisfactory condition of the city and county of Limerick. It should be a matter of great gratification to everybody living in the county and city of Limerick to have such a record of freedom from crime within the period since last quarter sessions. This condition of things should afford an object lesson to their rulers as to the law-abiding character of the people" of this country. His Honor, in acknowledgment of the compliment, said it was to him a special pleasure to receive again this tribute which was .offered to the judges, showing -the peaceable condition of the city of Limerick; and its freedom from crime. This was the third Occasion on which he had received white gloves from the high sheriff of Limerick. His late lamented predecessor used to- boast that he had the largest collection of white gloves of any. judge in the world;. but if things went on in the same satisfactory way that they had been going on since he_ r (his . Honor) came to Limerick — and he sincerely hoped they would — he expected to make a -rival collection to; that of the late. County Court Judge. - - •, MAYO— A Presentation ' . . A beautifully illuminated address, .together with a solid silver chalice and silver-mounted inkstand, .was, presented to the Rev. 6. J. Prendergast, Diocesan Inspector, Tuam, - at his ' "parents' residence, Louisburgh, County Mayo, ' recently by a' deputation of his friends from the parish of ■ Balinakill,i County Galway, where he labored as curate for ; four years. ' < . . , An Old-age Pensioner •- : s ' The lateCMr. x^ichael Davitt's .nurse, Mrs. Kilcourse, who has . attained the age of 83, lias -been awarded, an. old-age pension by ; the .Castlebar Pensions Committee,." TlPPEßAßY— Recognition of the Work of a Pastor A very pleasing function took place on the completion of the Catholic church, at Drombane, Thurles, -when -the Very. Rev. .Canon Corcoran, P:P:, D.D., was made the - recipient of a' beautifully illuminated adress and sanctuary lamp by his parishioners in gratef ul of his work in beautifying the; parochial .church. . _ TYRONE— Over the Century > The .death is reported of Mr.. Francis^ Nelly, "farmer, near Aughnacloy, County' Tyrone/ who, acqrding to reliable data in the possession of' his "family, -had attained the remarkable age of 109. years^ . "Up. till three months ago he was able to attend $6 the business of his farm, never

previously having had a day's illness. A short period before his death he informed his relatives he had only half an hour to live.* " . * v'^/.i GENERAL The Root of th©-)^rbuble <■■ „ , \ Addressing his; ednsfcituents in' on October 23, Mr. Birrell said, despite the criticisms of the House of Lords, he believed Ireland, but for "agrarian troubles, would be the most crimeless country in Europe. He would not, put the Crimes Actuinto .'force unless inevitable, and his\ judgment was that it" was hot now 1 inevitable or necessary. Irish Industries ' The important step taken by Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., as Vice-President of the Department, with a view to promoting the establishment of industries in Ireland as the outcome of the new Patent Law — namely, the appointment of a Commission, which will proceed at once to Germany for the purpose of making inquiries into "the effect on the industries of that country of the Patents Act, and the extent to which v advantage can be taken of the new legislation for the benefit of Ireland — has the following as a sequel. The Commission will consist of Mr. Homer, of the Belfast Industrial Development Association; Mr. E. J. Jtiordan, secretary of the Cork Industrial Development Association; together with one of the assistant secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Technical "Instruction. The Christian Brothers' Schools ! The Irish Times, which for years has been the leading Tory paper of Ireland, compliments highly the Irish Christian Brothers for the success of their pupils in the Intermediate Examinations . this year. The Catholic schools in Ireland are always ahead in the Intermediate Examinations, and for this reason, among others, many Irish Protestants send their children to Catholic schools. In many Irish comunities Protestant boys sit side by side with Catholic boys in the Christian Brothers' schools, and needless to say no attempt is made to tamper with their religious beliefs. American Factories In the course of a letter to Mr. Joseph McCarroll, of Wicklow, Mr. John Redmond, M.P., says: — ' When I was in America I found that widespread interest was taken in the new Patents Law. I had the opportunity of meeting many of the manufacturing and commercial class, especially in Boston, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and they all realised that in consequence of tlie new law it will be necessary for them to start factories in some part of Great Britain or Ireland. I urged most strongly upon them that a preference should be given to Ireland. Doing this would entail no loss upon them, but, on the contrary, owing to cheap labor, good water power, and other advantages, they would gain by starting their factories in this country rather than in Great Britain. The suggestions I made were received most sympathetically, and I have no doubt that some of the American manufacturers will, before long, take steps to start factories in this country. I see that England is taking steps to induce the building of factories in England by sending a deputation to America to interview the manufacturers there. I hope that those who are specially engaged in the effort to resuscitate Irish industries will take what steps they think best to follow tip the suggestions which I made to American manufacturers during my recent trip.' The New Land Bill A few weeks ago we were informed that Mr. Birrell, Chief Secretary for Ireland, had" introduced in the House of Commons a new Land Pxirchase Bill. On that occasion he stated that the sales .already completed under the Land Purchase Act totalled £25,000,000, while agreements were pending for an additional £52,000,000. Instead of £100,000,000 contemplated by Mr. Wyndham in 1903, £180,000,000 was needed. Amid Nationalist cheers the Irish Secretary announced that he intended to relieve the Irish ratepayers t of their prospective- losses of half a million yearly. Referring to the issues of stock, he intended to issue 3 per cents'., to increase intending tenants' annual interest on advances made, to reduce the bonus to 3 per cent.,- to increase the present limit to £12,000,000, and to graduate the bonus in order to assist the poorer landlord to sell. Last week the measure was -read a second time after a hostile amendment -by -Mr. Wyndham had been ' rejected by 238 votes to 62.'' The- second reading was "supported by Mr. Redmond,- whilst Mr. W. O'Brien ■ voted against it. -' ' • ; '