Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 14, 8 April 1909, Page 547

Irish News

ANTRlM— Harmful Reading

The Most Rev. Dr. Tohill, Bisliop of Down and Connor, visited St. Peter's Church, Belfast, on Sunday, February 14, and administered" the Sacrament of Confirmation to over 800 children. Adressing -the- large congregation his' Lordship said it seemed some few- people belonging to the congregation admitted into their homes newspapers con- _. taining long reports, of vile cases' tried in certain courtsr He hoped that no. such papers would be again found in any Catholic home in ihe parish, and also that those respon- ' sible for the selection of books of fiction and history for the Carnegie Branch Library would exclude from its shelves any works of immoral or irreligious tendency; Bad and immoral books were dangerous to all, but especially to young people. Such reading filled the imagination with images of evil that in the end corrupted the soul of the reader. Many persons of experience strongly held that public libraries would prove a questionable boon for the rising generation unless the books were very carefully selected. The Bishop paid to the Catholics of the parish, the most important of those under his charge, a warm tribute of praise, and congratulated the clergy and people on the satisfactory state, of religion in it.

The Member for West Belfast

A complimentary banquet to Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P., was held in St. Mary's Hall, Belfast, recently, when there was a very large and representative attendance. Mr. John Redmond, M.P., in the course of his speech on the occasion said : — As Chairman of tlie Irish Party I recognise, as every intelligent man in Ireland recognises, that since the day when Parnell gathered round him that wonderful galaxy of able young Irishmen, 25 or 30 years ago, no man has come into the Irish Parliamentary Party of such commanding political genius and ability as Mr. Devlin. In Parliament he is a tower of strength to tlie Irish Party, able to state a case with supreme and masterly force, able at a minute's notice to take part in a debate and answer and crush the ablest enemy of the Irish ca.use. I speaks here to-night also as President of the United Irish League. I .know no man in Irish public life so versatile as Mr. Devlin.

ARMAGH— Death of a Priest

On February 11 there passed away at Killeshil, Armagh, the Rev. P. Fox, in his 69th year. Father Fox was born in Carrickmore in 1840, and was ordained to the priesthood in Maynooth in 1865. He was parish priest of Killeshil for *a period of 28 years.

CORK— Catholic Young Men's Society

The 57th annual meeting of the Cork Young Men's .Society was held on February 14. In the unavoidable absence of the Bishop, -Most Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan, the chair was occupied by the Right Rev. Dean Sliinkwin, P.P^ V.G. The attendance, which was large and representative, included the Lord Mayor, the High Sheriff, and the Recorder of the city. The "anual report, which showed a year of steady progress in all branches .of the Society' s__ work, was read by Rev. Father Knowles, 0.5.A., . sthe indefatigable president. The rev. gentleman, in the course of an earnest address, asked was it fair to have that, the premier society of its kind in the United Kingdom, hidden aWay in a side street, while the splendid institutions of other religious bodies reared their heads proudly in their principal thoroughfares? There was a great future before them, and all they asked was the generous, earnest, and devoted assistance of those who had the"- interest" of -the young men of Cork at heart. The best appreciation of their work that could be shown was practical help, by deeds, to extend its sphere for good, to strengthen its resources, and to maintain its position as the best . an.il most useful among the .many philanthropic institutions supported and sustained by the open-handed generosity of the citizens of Cork. Addresses were delivered by the Lord Mayor, Mr. Stanley Harrington, and others.

DUBLIN — The Parliamentary Party

A meeting of the Irish Parliamentary Party, which was held in the Mansion House, Dublin, on February 11, re-elected' Mr. John E. Redmond^ sessional chairman. Captain Donelan, Mr. Patrick O'Brien, Mr. E. H. -Burke, and Mr. J. P. Boland were elected whips; Mr* J. C. Flynn, Mr. W. Redmond, and Mr. R. Hazleton, secretaries; and Messrs. Mooney, Meehan, McKillop, and Abraham treasurers. A National Loss Count Plunkett, speaking, recently in Dublin, at the conclusion of a lecture on 'Ancient Ireland,' delivered by

f _ s Canon Healy, LL.D., said it was estimated some fifty years ago that not less than £10,000 worth of early Irish gold ornaments had been, thrown into the melting-pot. Yet the - treasury of such objects in the National Museum •compared favorably with the other" great collections of ornaments in Europe. • .

The National Convention

The representative character of the 'National Convention,held in Dublin early- irf^ebruary' was dealt with by Mr. Devlin the complimentary banquet in Belfast. Mr. Devlin said : ' There were present 2000 delegates, with therr names officially "forwarded to Dublin, from nearly 1000 branches of the United Irish League. There was not a single branch of the United Irish League in any part of Ireland allowed representation, whatever its peculiar ideas may have been on the public questions involved — there was not a single branch of the United Irish League allowed representation unless it was duly affiliated. There were 700 delegates from the elected public bodies of the country. We in the United Irish League, in our constitution, adopt an attitude for which there is no "-precedent in the history of any other country or any other organisation in the world. In England the Tories invite their own organisations to assemble in convention to declare policies and carry out programmes. The Liberal Party pursue the same constitutional form of convention, and- the Labor Party also follow this .rule. In England and "in Scotland the same course is pursued. Arid what do the Irish Party and the United Irish League do ? They invite not only delegates from their own organisation, but the representatives of every public body and every city and town council and every poor-law board, -every trade and labor body, and every allied society with the slightest Irish sentiment inspiring it in its work. There never was a broader constitution ; there never was gathered in any hall a more wonderful amalgam of all the complex interests involved in the life of the nation. We had at that convention, •as I have said, »2000 delegates from the League, 700 delegates from public bodies, and we had 300 priests, the largest body of Irish priests that ever graced an Irish assembly. We had 80 delegates from- the United Irish League of Great Britain, and we had 500 delegates • from all the other organisations of the country. Leading and guidingand associated with all these various organisations were 80 elected representatives of the people, with tlie people's mandate, there at the convention to carry it out.'

The" Parliamentary Fund

The National Trustees of/ the United Irish Parliamentary Fund — the Bishop of Raphoe and Messrs. J. E. Redmond, M.P., and John Fitzgibbon — have issued an appeal for funds ior the maintenance of the struggle for Home Rule. They say in-.pafi^ -?The time has come round once again for appealing to you ror material support for the maintenance- of a pledge-bound and united- Irish- Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons. We do so with full confidence that your response will fee both prompt and liberal. We are not unaware of the influences, some open, some secret and insidious, .which have Been exerted to discredit the Irish Parliamentary Party and the constitutional movement, and thereby to * close up the fountain of. popular support for both the party and tli'e movement. We are also aware that, so far .as the great, overwhelming "mass of otir people are concerned, these influences - have been exerted in vain. The Irish Party having "remained steadily faithful^o the, trust committed to them, their supporters have remained faithful to the party, seeing in the attacks • made on them only an old and battered device for -breaking into pieces the chief weapon that exists for - accomplishing tlie desires .of the Irish Nation. It remains for the people to show in the coming year, as they have shown in the past, that, so far as material aid for the party can secure it, they will not allow these attacks to succeed.'

FERMANAGH— The Passionist Order

The Passionist Fathers have recently secured the property known as ' The Graan,' situated a" short distance from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, with the, intention of establishing there another House of their Order. The Fathers are constantly engaged in conducting missions and retreats throughout the .country, and - ' The draan ' has been selected for its very central position. Besides, the increasing number of Irish aspirants to the Passionist Order has made necessary tlie foundation of another House in Ireland." /

GALWAY— The Holy Father's Kindness

The Archbishop of Dhblin, touched by the, distress p.f those who are snffering owing .to the Galway bog slide, ventured to request that the Holy Father would permit him to send to the Archbishop of Tuam for their relief £200 out of the Dublin diocesan collection for the surviving.

victims of the earthquake, amounting to somewhat o\e v £2000. His Holiness, who was much concerned on being informed of the disaster, has graciously intimated, througli Cardinal Merry del Val, his wish that the Archbishop should send £1000 to the Tiiam prelate for the purpose. His Grace has forwarded- a. cheque for the . amount and another cheque for £25, his own ""contribution to the Western fund. .","-*

LIMERICK— The Italian Earthquake

The collection in aid of the * sufferers in Italy ahd^, ;Sicily taken up in' all, the churches'* of ' the diocese by direction of his Lordsnii>~>~ the : :Bishop of Limerick lias xealised £589, and this sum has been forwarded by his Xiordship to his Holiness the Pope. , ~_

The Housing Act

Limerick (says the Munster News) has not been slow to take advantage of the Housing Act, and the resolution of the Corporation deciding on the erection of 1000 decent dwellings for workmen" and their families was like the bugle blast of the health-army destined for the Relief of Limerick. In. addition to providing good houses for 1000 families within the next few years, the scheme adopted by the Corporation -will mean the spending of some £30,000 per annum in labor in the city for five years, without increasing the rates by one penny. In the County of Tipperary the Thurles Council propose to build 100 v or 150 - cottages, and Clonmel" Corporation 50 cottages.

The Bearer of an Honored Name

Mr. Edward William O'Brien, D.L., Cahirmoyle, County Limerick, who died in London recently, in his seventy-first year, and was buried in Rathconan Cemetery, County Limerick, was the eldest son of the illustrious William Smith O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien eschewed the public life for which his antecedents and his great abilities so eminently fitted him. He was one of the most learned men and most eminent scholars of his time, and was the best man of his year in Trinity College, Dublin, when he obtained two gold medals. He inherited the Cahirmoyle estate through his grandmother, the eldest daughter of William Smith, of Cahirmoyle, who married Sir Edward O'Brien, and whose large property was settled on the second son of the marriage, William Smith O'Brien — his eldest brother, Sir Lucius O'Brien, Bart., afterwards thirteenth Lord Inchiquin, succeeding to the O'Brien estates.

GENERAL

Irishmen in Cairo

Says the Rev. T. F. O'Neill, of Gawler, S.A., who has just returned from Europe.: — ' I happened to be in the city of Cairo on St. Patrick's Day, and, taking up tlie morning paper, was surprised to find a full-page of tiie paper devoted to a banquet given by the Irishmen of Cairo in honor of Ireland's national Apostle. Even more, a very able leading article, worthy of any national paper, appeared in the same issue, voicing the chief characteristics of Ireland'sT"Apostle, and generous appreciation of Ireland's struggle for Home Rule. It is literally true that, wherever you go, even in».the remotest clime, yon will find - a son of Hibernia in the van in every walk of professional and commercial life.'

Comparative Statistics

A writer in the Irish Weekly quotes the following comparative statistics for 1906 from leaflets recently issued by the Imperial Home Rule Association : — Scotland's roll of convictions was L 072 to Ireland's 1303. The number of persons ' committed- for trial' in Scotland was 2318; in Ireland, 1778. Thus, in every respect Scotland's criminal -record is shadier than Ireland's. Now for the other side .-of the picture. Scotland paid for the .maintenance of 5435 police that year. Ireland supported 11,144; and this numTt>er has since been -increased. _fAnd the cost of - maintenance greatly enlarged. Though the Irish ' prisoners 'of : all classes were only just 70 per cent, of the Scottish Ttotal, the Irish police outnumbered' the Scottish by 105 iper cent., and the cost of maintaining the prisons of IreHand was nearly 30 per cent, greater than the cost of ScotHand's ga015— £114,556 to £88,650. In twenty-five years ipauperism, while rapidly diminishing in Great Britain, has 'Increased in Ireland, although the Irish population has fallen by over three-quarters of a million. Belfast is practically the only Irish centre of population which has grown during the. period, and the growth of local pauperism has quite .kept pace with that of the city's population.