Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 23 December 1909, Page 2027

Irish News

♦ ' ANTRlM— Clerical Appointments His Lordship the Most Rev.- Dr. Tohill, Bishop of Down and Connor, has appointed the Very Rev. James Hamill, Whitehouse, to be Vicar-General of the' diocese, in place of the late Very Rev. A. McMullan. CORK— Praise for the Christian Brothers ' Rev. Canon Moore, speaking at the Protestant Synod in Cork, said it had been held that the Catholic community were against educating their children, but he did not believe that such was the' case,. In their schools they were making an earnest attempt to give their people the highest possible education. The Catholic community were far ahead of the Protestant community with regard to education. ' He instanced a case in Mitchelstown, in which he himself had sent a boy from his elementary school to the Christian Brothers' school. The interest taken by the Brothers in that boy was beyond all praise. Dean Bruce said the Catholics had a great religious brotherhood for teaching, and Protestants could only strive to improve in that line. They could not surpass the teaching of the Christian Brothers, for it could not, he thought, be surpassed anywhere. Small Damages ' ; A County Dublin special jury has awarded Mr. D. D. Sheehan, M.P., £20 damages against Lord Ardilaun, proprietor of the Dublin Daily Express and Evening Mail on account of a libel, the essence of' which was that Mr. Sheehan had deserted Mr. William O'Brien. A United Irish Party The Bishop of Cloyne, in a letter written from Maynooth College, expressed his regret that episcopal duty kept him absent from Queenstown, and so, prevented his meeting Captain O'Meagher Condon and Mr. O'Callaghan. The Bishop concluded his letter expressing the hope that the envoys, when they return to -the United States, . would continue to labor for the Irish cause by assisting to maintain a united, earnest, and thorough-going Irish Party. Appointments to Public Offices A special meeting of the Cork Council decided to communicate with Mr. T. W. Russell regarding the unfair treatment of Catholics on the veterinary staff of the Department, and it was suggested that if a satisfactory explanation was not forthcoming the County Council should cut themselves off from the Department. It was stated that on the staff there are forty-six Protestants with salaries amounting to £13,110, and forty Catholics, who get £7144. A Different Use The authorities of the Protestant Church in Ireland erected some years ago large buildings adjoining the Queen's College, Cork, to serve as a house of residence for students at the College destined for the ministry. The establishment was called ' Berkley Hall,' in honor *of the philosopher George Berkley, Protestant Bishop of Cloyne. Eventually the buildings became the property of the Lord Mayor of Cork. Quite recently they passed to the Irish Franciscans, who intend to utilise ihem in connection with the new development in University education. The Franciscans have called the establishment ' St. Antony's Hall,' after St. Antony of Padua, their first professor, appointed by St. Francis himself. There are two homes, one for the exclusive use of Franciscan students pursuing the Arts Course of the University, the other to serve as a hostel for Catholic students attending the College. The Queen's College became, tinder the new Bill, a constituent College of the University, and changes its name into University College. It is under the presidentship of the distinguished scholar and scientist, Dr. B. C. Windle, who has recently /been raised by the Pope to the Knighthood of St. Gregory the Great. The Holy Father, too, when informed about the work the Franciscans were undertaking, sent through his Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State- his .warmest approval and his Apostolic Blessing. DUBLIN— The National University Under promising auspices and with the best wishes for its success (writes a Dublin' correspondent) the .National University of Ireland comme"hced its career on November 1. Its constituent* colleges, as is well known, are situated . in Dublin, Cork, and Galway, the principal cities of Leins- L ter, Munster, and Connaught. A list of the professors and lecturers to_ whom the higher education of the preponderating majority of the youth of Ireland is to be entrusted' appeared in. the papers the other day. That they are . men and women of great ability, , and possessing excellent qualifications* for the positions to which they, have been appointed, is universally admitted. That they will prove themselves worthy of .the great task whinh they have undertaken cannot for qne moment be' doubted by any impartial person. They commence their labors on a good • foundation laid by the strenuous efforts of those who preceded them in the work of higher . education. With the new National- University of , Ireland, the

Queen's University, Belfast, and Dublin University, which now includes Trinity College and Magee College, Derryj the higher education question has, it- is to be hoped, been solved to, the satisfaction of all. ' S] Honorary Degrees ~ , The following honorary degrees were conferred at the' final meeting of the Royal University of Ireland on October 29:— LL.D. Honoris Causa: The Right Hon. Lord Castletown of Upper Ossory, K.P., C.M.G. ; Sir Francis Richard Cruise, M.D.; the Right Hon. John Young, M.A. ; the Most Rev. Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, D.DI, Bishop of Limerick; Edward Cuming, M.A. ; the Right Hon. Christopher Palles, LL.D., Lord Chief Baron 1 of the Exchequer: Rev. William Nicholas, D.D. ; the Right Rev. William Edward Meade, D.D., Bishop of Cork; William Joseph Myles Starkie, M.A., Litt.D. ; Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Foster George Ross of Bladensburg, X.C.8.; Sir Henry Bellingham, Bart., M.A.; the Right Hon. the Earl, of Westineath, 8.A. ; the Right Hon. Lord Killanin, 8.A. ; Richard Whytock Leslie, M.D., M.CH. ; John" Campbell, M.A., M.D., M.CH., M.A.0. ; the Right Hon. Michael Finucane, M.A., C.S.I. ;„ Rev. Edward Alfred D'Alton; Very Rev. Peter Byrne, D.D.: William Richard Huggard, M.A., M.D., M.CH. M.CH. Honoris Causa: John Walton Browne,. 8.A,, M.D.; D.Sc. Honoris Causa: Alexander Macalis-' ter, M.D., F.R.S.; Alexander Anderson, M.A., LL.D. M.A. Honoris Causa; Frederick William . Moore, M.R.I. A. Success of Catholic Colleges Having conferred degrees on the students who were successful. at its recent examinations, .the Royal University of Ireland was formally dissolved. Although the now defunct institution was not an ideal university, being nothing more or less than fin examining body, it did excellent work during its life of nearly thirty years. If it did nothing more than give the Catholic students of "the secondary schools throughout the country an opportunity of showing what -they were capable of, it justified its existence. That the Catholic youth of Ireland made the very most of the opportunity afforded them by the institution has been proved abundantly. The concluding ceremony capped the climax* in affording proofs of the success of the Catholic Colleges, as will be seen by the following list" of honors awarded : — University College, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, obtained 138; Maynooth College, 65; Queen's College, Belfast, 59; St. Mary's College, Eccles street, Dublin, 37; Loreto College, St. Stephen's Green, 23; Queen's College, Galway, 20; Holy' Cross College, Clonliffe, Dublin, 19; Queen's College, Cork, 13 ; Christian Schools, Cork, 6. KERRY— Reward for Bravery The Royal Humane Society has awarded a bronze medal and certificate to Patrick Kearney, fisherman, Great Blasket Island, Kerry, for his gallant rescue of Miss Kate Orohan from the sea there on August 13. The following awards were also made : — Testimonials to C. W. Kavanagh, Passage East, Waterford, aged 14; to Miss Violet H. Staples, Knock, Belfast, aged 13; to Thomas Fitzgerald, town clerk, Cahirciveen Kerry ; to Captain J. V. Paton, 'Royal boots Fusiliers; and testimonial" and £1- to Michael Fallon Salthill, Galway. ; . * .. \ . ;; v \ KILKENNY— The Bishop's Jubilee At the meeting of Castlecomer Board of Guardians, Mr. Philip Purcell, J.P. (chairman), proposed a resolution tendering congratulations to the Most Rev. Dr. Brownrigg on the attainment of his silver jubilee- as Bishop of Ossory and resolving that an address be presented to his Lordship on the occasion of the presentation of addresses from the other public bodies in the diocese. Mr. Dobbs, J.P. (Protestant), who seconded the resolution, said they all appreciated the great interest which Bishop Brownrigg had taken in the people ever since he came to Ossory. LOUTH— Fire in Dundalk t Damage to the extent of £3000 was done by an outbreak of fire at Keatley's coach factory, Dundalk. MAYO— An Irish Historian Amongst the closing acts of the Royal University was the conferring of the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) on the Irish historian, Rev. E. A. D'Alton, M.R.I.A. Father D'Alton. is a Mayo man. He was born in 1860 at Cavallyane,, and was educated at first at St. Jarlath's, Tuam, and finished his course in Maynooth, where he had a distinguished career. He has been for some years a member of the governing body of the Queen's College, Galway, and, in addition to many scholarly writings, produced valuable treatises on historical subjects, culminating in his great three-volume ' History of Ireland from the Earliest Times to the Present Day,' of which two volumes have already appeared, and £he third is now in print. It shows abundant research and careful study. The Archbishop of ' Titam says of the author : 'He possesses many of the most essential qualities of an historical writer. His style is easy and limpid-; in description as well as in narrative he is vivid and frequently picturesque; he possesses the critical faculty in a high degree, and holds the scales of historical -justice with an even hand.' -. . -; t . - -

MEATH— Death of a Passionist General regret was occasioned throughout Ireland at the death of the Rev. Vincent Crean, C.P., a well-known Irish Passionist Father, who died at -the new Passionist Retreat at iNnmskillen. lather Vincent was a native of Oldcastle, m County Meath, and spent his first., years of priesthood as a curate on the mission. Ordained in 1886, he became a Passionist in 1901, and since then he* has been continually employed an giving missions and retreats in all parts- of the Kingdom. • - . SLIGO— A Substantial Windfall A family named Hale, of County Sligo, are to receive rrom the Mexican Government in the course of a few' weeks a sum of nearly £200,000. If is "stated that a relative of the Hales, emigrated, to Mexico in the early part of last \ century, and became enormously rich. Some sixty years ago he lent the Mexican Government, which was then in financial difficulties, over £(50,000, and it is this sum-, with accrued interest, that the Hales expect to become possessed of m due course. > - WEXFORD— Cultivation of Tobacco The work of picking, grading, and assorting the tobacco crop (says the Freeman's Journal) occupies over two months, after which the final operation of ' packing ' and i fermenting ' takes place. The entire work of curing the season's crop occupies nearly six months, and as the same staff "are employed year after year at the same duties they have now become quite experts in the work. It is estimated, after the curing process, 'the yield of the Wexford crop will exceed that of last year by several hundred pounds,' and not only, is the weight much more, but the quality is also much superior. A fair proportion of the leaf v will come out so well that it will grade under the head of ' lug,' or ' best leaf,' and so will obtain- probably a penny to twopence' a pound in excess of last year's prices. The soil of the barony of Forth is admirably adapted for the growth' of the leaf and until its growth was prohibited in 1830, the plant was very extensively grown there, and there were several factories in Wexford town, where the plants were worked up into commercial tobacco. Some ten hands alone are employed in the sorting, picking, and 'curing' of the leaf, which is altogether apart from the "growing of the plants. This gives considerable employment, as the tobacco fields have to be kept as neat as a flower garden and as free from weeds. It will thus be seen what ah amount of employment is given where even a few acres of tobacco plants are grown. Last year some 60,000 pounds .were grown in Ireland, and if the industry were allowed to develop on the lines so splendidly begun, one hundred times that quantity, with one hundred times the number of employes, could find work. The new duty, however, will seriously handicap the industry. ' * GENERAL Laborers' Cottages , The rents ruling for laborers' cottages in several counties are as follow : — From lOd to Is per .week in Cork ; in Kerry 10£ dto Is; Limerick, 6d to ll£d; Waterford, lOd to IsCarlow, 9d to Is: Kilkenny, 45 d to 10£ d; Queen's County, Yd; Wexford, Bjd. - Centenarians Two Irish centenarians have just died— a woman of the small farming class at Tennekilla, near Glinn, Limerick, at the age of 105; and Mrs. Catherine Neary, of Clonfice, htrokestovvn, Roscommon, at the age of 104. The Science of Agriculture ' Speaking at the annual distribution of prizes to thestudents of the Pembroke Technical Schools, Dublin, Mr. 1. W. Russell, M.P., said it was' his fixed opinion that Ireland was at last turning the corner, and was on a fair way to success and prosperity. He did not say that without" • knowing it to be a fact. If Ireland got fair play from , her friends, there was nothing to fear in the future. There were seven or eight hundred classes throughout the country being attended by sons of small farmers, where they were being taught the science of agriculture. The success of the technical education system in Ireland was very largely due to the cordial co-operation of the Catholic and Protestant . clergy. Peaceful State of the Country It is &. pleasant symptom of the peaceful state of Ireland (writes a correspondent) that the gaols are. diminishing m number. The Richmond prison was closed a few years ago. Kilmainham gaol, with certain historic associations, is shortly (it is reported) to disappear. At the Omagh Quarter Sessions the other day it was stated thatthe old Tyrone prison in Omagh— a picturesque building — is a white elephant on the hands of the County Council. Ihe secretary to the County Council said it was of no use and though they tried to sell it no one would buy it What use can it be put toP The prison at Wexford was closed not many years ago, and remained empty until recently, when the Sisters of St. John of God took it over. They have opened it as a. Home for Inebriate Women. A desir^ able change for the victims of intemperance.