Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 4 November 1909, Page 1747

Irish News

ANTRIM— The Temperance Movement The Right Rev. Dr. Tohill, Bishop of Down and Connor, during his recent episcopal visit to Annoy, County Antrim, addressed a large congregation. Alluding to the vice of intemperance, his Lordship said he was glad to learn from -fcheir parish- priest that a vast and happy change had taken place in the" district. The same beneficent, and blessed results "were observed "how in nearly every' parish', throughout the' diocese. Forty or fifty -years ago the sin.of drunkenness was looked upon as simply, a weakness, or ' slight failing in a man. . Now it was regarded as a disgrace for any man to be, seen under he influence of .drink. That, was the proper way 't0,,, 100k upon this degrading vice. In „ order, to banish ituproperly from their homes, parents and^ teachers should endeavor to instil into the minds -of the children committed' to their care the leading principles of temperance. A new generation of total abstainers would, revolutionise .the face of the country in a few years. CAVAN— A Tribute to the Irish Party The Right Rev: Dr. Duhig, Bishop of Rockhampton, visited Bawnboy, County Cavan, on September "10. In , an interview granted to a press representative his Lordship - expressed the pleasure with which he had observed during^ his travels through Ireland evidences of very improvement in the state of the country." „ The _ working classes, he said, were now much better . housed than ■ when he had left the country; and he was very gratified to find s that comfortable houses were being erected for the laborers. The laborers deserved well of the country, for' it was mainly ' owing to them that such great benefits had been conferred, on the farmers. The Irish Party could do but little if the Irish people were not at their back. He always, watched the Irish political situation very closely, and, viewing it from every point of view, he thought the outlook at present was more hopeful than it had ever been. Mr. Redmond and his party were doing great work for Ireland, and not the least brilliant illustration of their watchfulness and skill was their success in the debates in the Committee stage of the Land Bill now before Parliament. He was confident that the Irish Party were not far from winning Home Rule. They had his blessing on his labors. * CORK— Golden Jubilee On the occasion of their golden jubilee in the sacred" ministry, the Bishop and priests of the diocese of Cork presented Monsignor Shinkwin, Dean of Cork, and Canon Shinkwin, Bandon, with addresses and two beautiful solid silver salvers. The ceremonies associated with the presentations were eminently expressive of the esteem in which the reverend and distinguished jubilarians were held by the Bishop and their brother-priests. , DUBLIN — Children's Temperance League Children in .thousands assembled at Inchicore on Sunday, September 12. The occasion was the unfurling of - a temperance banner for the young -.lrish crusaders* The Very Rev. Father Aloysius, who presided, said the temperance movement was olie that ought to be especially dear to children, because it was one that made their homes happy, their country honored, and their people true to the faith. The Lord Mayor also spoke. QALW AY— Brighter Homes Exhibition At Athenry, on September 8, the Most Rev. Dr. Healy, Archbishop of Tuam> opened the Brighter Homes' Exhibition, the object of which ,was to direct public attention to the saticfactory results achieved by the movement recently started in the district for brightening the homes of the people. His Grace said the land of Ireland was large enough and rich enough for all, if the people only culti- ■ vated it in . a proper way. If they cultivated the great virtues of sobriety, industry, and thrift, it would raise them enormously in the social scale, and tend to make their homes bright and happy. .He hoped the people would try to make everything they could for themselves, and also try to live as much as possible on the produce of their own land*. He wondered why the Irish people did not appreciate the enormous value of good fruit, which could be cultivated, in their kitchen gardens. He hoped all Irishmen Vould unite in the common good of their country. LOUTH— The Welfare of the People In opening" an Exhibition Hall at Dundalk, Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., said after herculean struggles and a long night of bitter disappointment, they had secured the land for the' people. That meant that something ljkC threefourths' of the Irish farmers were now owners of "their land, and that the remaining fourth would very soon be in the same position. That could mean nothing but good for the Irish people. Then something like 30,000 laborers' cottages had been erected by State aid. , That, in itself had made .an enormous change for the better. He appealed to the young .men and women of Ireland to co-operate in the general effort that was being made to make their country better worth living in than it had been. Nearly all the

impediments of the past were /surmounted; and there was now nothing that the people of the country ought' to get that could not be got. There was nothing that could resist the voice of a united Irish people in Parliament. - They had got a good deal; they would have all they wanted in tne iuture. - . v - QUEEN'S COUNTY— Charitable Bequests - The late Mr. James JBrennan, of Boley, Ballylinan, Queen's County, has bequeathed'- £4000 to his Graced the Archbishop of Dublin for the- benefit of four orphanages - StS th Jl C £ J ' £ nd 10 9? for ** c be *« fit of the orphanage at btradbally, Queen's .County. , - RJosCoMMoN— lmportant and Necessary Works - - The Board of Works have -just completed on the "Dptfer bhannon a series of new -works of ' a highly important character I The first of these new wofks is a branch-navi-gation; opened up from- Lough B&derg, through a loiig arm of, .the Shannon, to the village of- Grange, only three miles from Strokestown. Hitherto" all the goods for -Strokestbwn had to be carted from Longford, a. distance of fourteen miles. A pier at Grange is practically completed, and ~ the short public road to connect with the highway is beine nnished... Extensive stores for goods traffic are also^beihe erected near the pier. The more extensive and -important works are on .and near ; . Lough Allen. Commehcink •at Leitrim the Lough Allen Canal, hitherto disused, has been - ,; dredged and made - passable- for large boats. This canal runs within short reach of the Arigna coal fields.: ; At lahey, on the north-east corner of Lough Allen,, and at bpencer Harbor on the north-west, "two large jetties have been, provided, capable of accommodating- the" biggest -~ trading.boats on the Shannon, and already several nundred tons of goods have been delivered there. The Fahey jetty accommodates an extensive and- thickly-populated district m the County Leitrim and the adjoining portions of Cavan lhe nearest railway station to these districts was Belcoo, twelve miles distant. . The Spencer Harbor jetty is quite close to an extension of the Arigna coalfields, and from this several cargoes of coal have" been sent to Limerick, which indicates the importance of the improvements. The development of the coalfields is assured by this desirable means ot transit, which brings them into, touch with all the_towns along the Shannon. Boats' carrying fifty tons can now run rrom Limerick to Spencer Harbor, discharging goods along the way, and taking back with them the coal-or'agricul-tural produce of the districts. . ■ SLlGO— Classical Education Facilities The Right Rev. Dr. Clancy, Bishop of Elphin, has addressed an important communication to the parish priests of his diocese, requesting them to inform their parishioners that steps have been taken for the opening of a "classical department in the boys' schools of . each of the Deanery towns except Sligo, where the presence of the diocesan college renders it unnecessary. His Lordship says now that a National University has been called into existence, with its constituent colleges at Dublin, Cork, and Galway' he deems it imperative in. the-: interests, not- alone of young men- intended ~for the priesthood,^bu't for all others who desire to enjoy the advantages of university training, ta bring to the doors of" the poorest : iy opportunity that it is in his power to create to ' facilitate those preliminary studies which will be required for matriculation. WESTMEATH— A Graceful Act At the annual meeting of. the Westmeath Protestant Orphan Society; the principal speaker was -Very Rev. Dr. White, Warden of Wilson's Hospital. He said it was a great pleasure to him to be able to speak of the toleration extended-- to them .by .their _ Catholic fellow-citizens of County Westmeath. Some years ago he suggested to the chairman of the County Council that it, would be a graceful thing if there was a scholarship provided by .the Technical Instruction Committee for a Protestant girl tenable in a Protestant educational institution. His suggestion was cordially adopted, and for the past five years one Protestant girj had been selected for one of .'the scholarships provided by the committee. "It reflected great;^credit on the gentlemen of the County Council/ who, representing the majority of the people," naturally were of a different creed . and different color of political view from them. A Town with a History .. :. ■:".■■ Moate, the pleasant little Westnfeath town, lies on the old mail coach Toad which ran between Dublin and Galway, via Athlone. The, surrounding, district has been described as ' one of the most storied oorners of Europe.' The town was formerly known as Mota Grainne .Oige, after Grace or Grania Og^ who, according to tradition, was a daughter - of O'Melaghlin, .King of Meath, and governed that district. But it is a question whether she gave the oral law from the moat beside the "town, or whether her- Court was at Knockdominy, a hill to the north. In the latter case it is maintained that the town moat contains the grave of the princess. .More probable still, vthis celebrated lady may have been buried at Royal Clonmacnoisej which is not more than a dozen miles away. ' In the height of the English Revolution Moate was the scene of a sturdy battle between the supporters of James 11. and General De

Ginckel's army — the Jacobites being eventually compelled to retreat 'to Athlone,-- The Rapparees were a prominent force in the neighborhood" of Mbate. WEXFORD— The Bishop's Jubilee On September 14, amidst tokens of universal rejoicing, the celebration took place of the silver episcopal jubilee of the Most. Rev. Dr. Browne, Bishop of Ferris,. • Dr: James Browne was consecrated -Bishop on September 14^,1884, in the Cathedral of Eriniscorthy^ in succession to the saintly Bishop Warren. During- the intervening period he has -endeared himself to all classes of the- community by his •uniform " gentleness ~ and wise " administration. . Bishop Browne's episcopate of twenty-five years has been marked by "a- deepening df spiritual life throughout the -diocese of. Ferns, and by a steady" building up of the material fabric, an increase in the number of parishes and a remarkable .growth in the matter of well-equipped churches, schools, halls, libraries, etc. The successful colleges of "St.- Peter's,, Wexford, JJiof -St.' Benedict's, Gorey, and. of Our Lady of Good' Counsel, New Ross, as also" the. Loretto Convent Schools at "Wexford, Enniscorthy, and Gorey — all evidence his "fatherly zeal for the educational needs of the day. In addition must be enumerated the works done by the Sisters of ~ St. Louis at Ramsgrange, and the Faithful Companions at Newtownbarry, and the Agricultural and Technical Schools at Ramsgrange and Tagoat, while the Christian Brothers have - flourishing -schools at ■ Wexford, Enniscorthy, New Ross; and Gorey. •. The clergy manifested their' devotion on the auspicious occasion by the money present for the -purchase of a carriage and pair of horses. The laity made a presentation of close on £700,, and the National teachers presented an illuminated address and a gold chalice. . His .Holiness Pope Pius X., through the Very Rev. Dean Kavanagh, conveyed a gracious message of paternal felicitation/ and a most interesting episode .was the reading of an address from his Lordship's episcopal classfellows — His Grace the Archbishop of Tuam,; the Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer, Bishop of Limerick; the Most Rev. Dr. Browne, Bishop of Cloyne; and the Most Rev. Dr. Hoare, Bishop of Ardagh. Among the messages of congratulation received by his Lordship was one from the priests of the diocese of Ferns — six in number — at present working in the dioceses of Auckland, and Dunedin. 1 GENERAL The New Land Bill As was to be expected*, the House of Lords in dealing with the new Irish Land Bill considered only the interests of the landlords, and therefore amended it in such a way that its scope has been greatly restricted. Lord Crewe, speaking in the House of Lords last week, declared that after the amendments introduced by the Lords the Bill was no longer a final solution of the Irish land question, as the Government had intended it to be. The safeguards introduced would cause the Irish to demand yet further amendments. Irish Exports The Irish export, of butter— £4,o36,o23— to Great Britain last year was the" c P n d- largest in quantity and value, the import from Denmark into the United Kingdom being first— £lo,9o6,4B4-^and -that from Russia third— £3,401,637. Irish eggs were the second largest quantity — 6,501,195 great hundreds, and the largest value, £2,729,147 — imported into Great Britain, a larger quantity — 7,061,519 great hundreds — coming from Russia into the United Kingdom, but the total value, £2,518,051, being lower than that of Irish eggs. Hospice for Infirm Clergy The hospice under the control of the Caholic Bishops of Ireland for he reception of infirm clergy was opened at Moyne Park, Ballyglunin, Ireland, on September 30. The institution will be in charge of the Fathers of the Order of St. Camillus de Lellis. Land Commissioners' Work The report of the Irish Land Commissioners for the year ended March 31 states that notices to fix fair rents disposed of during the year numbered 6628, whilst the total number of rents fixed for the first statutory term under the various Land Acts from 1881 to the present year was 373,276, the result .being an average reduction of 20.7 per cent, over the entire country. The second term rents fixed for the same period numbered 135,404, the average reduction effected being, 19.6 per cent. The total advances for purchases under the' Wyndham Act amounted to £29,025,447. ______ ___

The big boot sale at Messrs. Simon Bros., George street, Dunedin, commenced on Saturday, and will. continue for two weeks, during which time most remarkable bargains will be offered.... Ridley's Teas are only obtainable at Messrs. Ridley and Co., Christchurch and Wellington. These teas are very popular, and the demand is increasing daily. The Lytielton Times says: — The. total amount of tea cleared in Christchurch during September amounted to 124,5301b5., Messrs. Ridley and Co.'s proportion being no less than 55,5821b5.'