Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 14 October 1909, Page 1627

Irish News

ARMAGH— An Inhospitable Town Mr. Swift MacNeill, who left Dublin on Sunday evening, August 15, to attend the great Hibernian demonstration in Mountcharles, Countjr Donegal, on Monday, intended to break the journey and sleep at Portadown. He alighted from the train, and just as he was leaving the," railway station lie was accosted by the police, who- entreated him to pursue his journey, telling him that -it would u not be safe for , him -to, remain in Portadown owing to the fury of the' Orange rioters. The police clearly belieyed that the Orangemen would not spare even a fellow-Protes-tant who happened "to- be', an" Irish "Nationalist, and not an - exponent of ' Ascendancy -principles.' Mr. Swift MacNeill 'went on his way, to' be received, as was remarked by Mr. Joseph Devlin in his speech, at Mountcharles with' every feeling' of confidence and affection by a vast concourse "• of Catholics, who- rejoiced to receive him, although he knelt <. at a different altar, because they believed he was true and faithful to Irish 'Nationality and in sympathy with ffcs hopes' and aspirations."- T - CORK— lrish in Queen's College Dr. Windle, in his report on the Queen's College, Cork, - for the past session, says the general work of the college has . proceeded satisfactorily, and in all the departments, with one exception, the students have been up to, or over, their usual number. The exception which he alludes to is the .de? - partment for Irish, the history of which, since it was attempted to revive the teaching of the subject four years ago, he related. DUBLIN— AII Hallows College The Very Rev. Thomas O'Donnell, CM:, has been appointed President of All Hallows' College, Dublin, in success to the Very Rev. James Moorw, CM., who has" retired owing to advancing years. , No better selection could be made, and it may Ec relied upon that under Father - O'Donnell's capable administration the grand missionary institution will go on prospering. ' Temperance Demonstration Dublin was the scene of a great temperance demonstration on Sunday, August 22. The Lord Mayor drove in state at the head of the procession, and Mr. "William Field, M.P., who is a strong temperance advocate, walked with his comrades. The Irish National Foresters and the Ancient Order of Hibernians took part in the procession/ their display of insignia giving a brilliant and- picturesque aspect to the scene. The Lord Mayor presided at the meeting held in Phoenix Park when the procession arrived there. Father Peter, O.S.F.C, the Provincial of the Capuchins, delivered the principal address, the other speakers including Father T. J. Cullen, of London; Mr. J. D. Nugent, Secretary of the A.0.H. ; Father Aloysius, O.S.F.C; Mr. J. Wigham, the representative of the Dublin Quakers; and Mr. Robert Carlisle. The Dublin Capuchins account themselves, the inheritors -of the Father Mathew tradition in Ireland, and naturally and appropriately they make temperance work in Dublin - a leading effort. The Horse Show This is Horse Show Week (writes a Dublin correspon- , dent on August 23), and the Irish capital is filled with visitors from all parts of Europe. The Dublin Horse Show is without parallel in any country in the world.. It is "the greatest display of horses held in any civilised country. The horse is a sort of national idol in Ireland, and Irish hunters are unequalled. Sporting men, dames of fashion, and horse buyers from all the principal European Governments flock to -Dublin from all parts for the Horse Show. The city is practically en fete for the week. This year the show is bigger than ever, and the arrangements at Ballsbridge had to be considerably extended.- The Irish Industries section was well worthy of a visit, . and it is satisfactory to know that it is becoming better patronised by visitors and exhibitors yearly. It included excellent specimens of lace and embroidery, tapestry weaving, lace designs, wood carving, artistic metal work, artistic leather * work, pyrography, artistic enamelling, illuminating, stained-glass work, and -modelling. . Testimony was borne to the excellence of Irish industrial work from the art point of- view by Lady Aberdeen at a meeting of the Royal Irish Industries Association. ' Her* Excellency stated that at the Berlin Exhibition the judges held that the Irish exhibits were the best from any country. Over £300 worth of goods - were sold there,- showing that the beauty and value of the ~- home product were being appreciated more and more. Gaelic League Excursion During Oireachtas week in Dublin two new. Irish plays — 'The Miser 'and '-Deirdre ' — were produced. -The proceedings: ended with the annual excursion • on ~ Sunday, August 8. Tara was chosen as the .scene of the outing. A special train left Dublin shortly before 10 o'clock, and bore a latge number of Gaelic Leaguers to Kilmessan,

whence the journey to the historic hill was made on cars or on foot.. The distance is about four miles, by road, but a' path through the fields, which may be, entered about,. a mile from Kilmessan, cuts a mile 'off the journey ■. --The T vast majority of the. excursionists elected to walk, and the road along the- route presented, a picturesque spectacle; as groups of Gaels", made up largely of ladies in bright summer costumes, wended their way along. Here and there could be seen a Gael clothed in the ancient Irish costume. "" "Visitors * came, to the. hill also from other quarters, and there was altogether -an imposing gathering. The party included a number of priests, two Germans, some -Americans, • and Gaels from various parts of Ireland and Great Britain. It was a glorious summer's day, though the' heat on -the hill was so intense as to become oppressive. After. their arrival at Tara the visitors spent a considerable -time \in- exploring the place, from which a magnificent view of .the surrounding country, stretching miles beneath „in all directions, could .be had. -Copies of an interesting booklet dealing with Tara were distributed' amongst the excursionists. It contained a plan of Tara adapted from the Ordnance Survey map, upon which the names of" the chief' places of interest on the hill were marked-by.Petrie and O'Donovan after a careful "study of some ancient Irish .records.- This "little , guide enabled the visitors to identify the spots of historic interest. Speeches were made from s the Hill, of which Gaelic at. the new University was the main topic, - GALWAY— SaIe of an Estate ; An agreement for the sale of a -well-known estate' in the County Galway was arrived at at > a- meeting of representatives' of the landlord and the tenants,- held in Dublin. The estate is that of Captain Pollok, situate at Creggs. An -immense tract of it was cleared of its occupiers in *ho years succeeding the great famine, arid of, the 250 tenants now on -the estate the majority are in occupation- of iin- . economic holdings. These have agreed, to buy- their farms -at, an average rate of , 18* years' purchase of second term judicial rents, and arrears of rent to; three years and upwards are to be wiped out : on payment of - a years' rent, abated by. 2o per" cent. Over 2000 acres of the grass lands are to be acquired by the Estates Commissioners- for distribution amongst the small holders; The Very Rev. Canon Geraghty, P.P., EHlbegnet, took a pro- , minent "part in conducting the negotiations on behalf of the tenants. - , The See of Clonfert - - v _At a' meeting in Loughrea of the priests of Clonfert fo* the selecting of names for, a new Bishop to be submitted to the Holy See, the following were chosen, the • voting being as follows: — Rev. John Bowes, P.P., Dignissimus, 15; Rev. Dr. Gilmartin, V.P., Maynooth, Dignior,7; Very Rev. J. Cunningham, P.P., V.F., Tynagh, Dignus, 5;. His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Healy presided at the High Mass. .. LIMERICK— Care of Ancient Monuments A -strong appeal (says the Freeman's Journal) is ad- - dressed to the County Councils on" Behalf -of our ancient monuments by Drr Robert Cochrane,, President of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. He 'asks them to assume the custody of the ruins, whether these are of county or national importance. The need for urgent action is undeniable. There is a danger that not all the new proprietors will appreciate the interest and importance of the old structures that may pass into their possession. Recently the Estates Commissioners offered to the Limerick County Council the custody- of two ..old castles — Lisnacullia and Ballyallinan — and it is believed that the council will at once undertake the charge, if they have not already done so. SLlQO— Death of a Well-known Public Man x Mr. P. J. Flynn, . J.P!, Chairman of the Sligo Rural District Council, and the -candidate whose, name figured in connection with the North Sligo vacancy," 'died on August 20 from pneumonia. It will be remembered Mr. Flynn retired from-'the contest in con sequence-' of- an urgent appeal from Mr. John Redmond, M.P., to sacrifice, his. own feelings for the sake of the National -cause. Mr. Flynn's death has caused profound sorrow. ' ' GENERAL Gaining Ground The _Irish Registrar-General reports that the number * of births in Ireland exceeded the number of deaths last year by 25,148. 'As the loss bjMsmigration was 23,295 (the lowest number recorded since, 1851), there. was a net gain of 1853 in the population of Ireland on December 31 last. There "were 386 fewer deaths' from tuberculosis last year than in 1907. This improvement is attributed to the active anti-tuberculosis campaign conducted by the Countess of Aberdeenl ' • ' ' . " " " A Well-known Land Agent I. •The death of Mr. John Townsend Trench, J.P., is announced from London, at the age of 75. years. „ His. name was known far .and . 'wide as, \the patentee -of ' v 'Trench's Remedy.' As 'ihe agent of Lord Lahsdowne,- the,management of the "affairs connected with the property was conducted by him during the stormy days of the land agitation. - - , -

Criminal. Statistics The kind of crime which furnished the best pabulum of the Irish Unionist-orators in England has decreased so much' (says the Irish Weekly) that .even ''Irish- Unionist M.P.'s were forced to admit in the -House of Commons, in a recent debate, that Ireland was remarkably peaceful, while, " of course, .describing the situation as the Vlull before the storm.' After a lead like -that, even the most violent of, .Tory journalists in Ireland will hesitate before basing an attack on Ireland on the statistics just • issued. The statistics for England will not be issued for many months. The system is to delay them -almost a year after" the publication of the Irish report. Scotland's record, however, is available. Comparisons " are odious ; but when one finds Irish Unionist spokesmen*- travelling about that country spouting of the lawlessness and crime of Ireland it is necessary to offer a mild retort. The rate .of indictable-of-fences in Scotland represents six per thousand of the population ; while iir Ireland it' is only 2.3 per thousand. Offences against the person in Scotland were 4573 ; in Ireland they were only 622. Of malicious injury to property in Scotland there were 4680 cases; in Ireland there were only 664; while in -larcenies and- burglaries Scotland is ahead of us by- two to one. Twelve thousand police are being paid for in Ireland, or one for every three persons committed ; while in Scotland one policeman is sufficient for every ten persons committed, the Scotch police force being only 5363. The activities of crime-manufacturers in Ireland and of their political abettors induced Dublin Castle to pile on an increase in the cost of the police force ■ in Ireland of £28,264 during the year 1907-08 ; the present cost of the policing of Ireland is over a million and a half pounds, while the aggregate cost of the Scotch force is only something over half a million ! The Effect of Old-Age Pensions In the House of Commons' on August 24, Mr. Hazleton asked the Secretary to the Treasury what had been the average annual contribution of Ireland to the Imperial Services since the Union; what was the amount for last year ; what was the highest amount in any one year, and the lowest amount in any one year previous to 1908-9 ; whether it was estimated that there would be no contribution from Ireland to Imperial Services for the current year; and, if so, -what was the estimated amount of the deficit. Mr. Whitley — The average annual contribution, of Ireland to Imperial Services since 1819, the earliest date of which figures are available, has been, approximately, £3,500,000. I cannot give the precise figure since for the period from 1819 to 1890. The calculations have only been worked out for one year in each decennial period. The amount for 1908-9 was £583,000. The highest amount in any previous year for which the figures have been worked out was £5,396,000, in 1859-60. The lowest, £1,684,500, in 1899-1900 .rrlTor the current year it is estimated that the revenue contributions by Ireland will be insufficient to meet the cost of purely Irish Services by £1,183,000. — Mr. John Redmond— Translated into plain words, that reply means that now Ireland is run under the Union" at a loss to England of over £1,000,000 a year. — Mr. Whitley — That would appear to be the case. — Mr. T. Healy — Does the hon. gentleman think we believe' it? Will he give us an audit of the accounts? — Mr. Whitley — The hon. member may certainly investigate the figures on which the answer is based. The Efficiency of the Irish Party In his ' Cross Bench ' article in a recent Observer, Sir Henry Lucy pays a notable tribute to the Parliamentary efficiency of the Irish" Party. Commenting on the little help which the Opposition have had during the present Parliament from ' Caves ' among the Ministerialists, Sir Henry pours scorn upon the Welsh members for allowing Disestablishment to be shelved, and sharply contrasts their tactics with those -of the Nationalists. The Welshmen, he says, showed themselves > ready, as heretofore, to' kiss the rod wherewith they had been chastised. ' That,' he adds, 'is not .the way of the Irish members. They not only know what they want, but how to get it. Their position this session has been instructively' parallel to that of the Welsh members. Each had in hand a measure popular with their constituents, its passing essential to preservation of their personal influence. Everyone knows what has happened in this month of August. The Welsh Disestablishment Bill is dead and buried, dubiously hopeful of resurrection next year. The Budget Bill, with all its importance and urgency, has been' shelved for a week in order that the Irish Land Bill may be passed through the Commons before the prorogation.'

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