Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 28 April 1910, Page 667

Irish News

ARMAGH—Very Old Butter The workmen employed by the Irish Peat Development Company at Derryland, near Portadown, dug up in the moss a cask of butter, which must have lain embedded in the peat any time from 500 to 2000 years. The butter, whiqh is in a fair state of preservation, is enclosed in a firkin hollowed out .of a tree stump, and covered by a lid having a neatly worked handle carved out of the same piece of wood as the lid. For the find a very large price has already been offered. CORKWarm Appreciation Mr. F. W. Mahony, Blarney, Cork, in forwarding a subscription of £2O to the Parliamentary Fund, has written in warm appreciation of the action of Mr. Redmond and the Irish Party. A Destructive Fire A very destructive fire broke out early in March at Castle Freke, near Cionakilty, County Cork, the residence of a leading family, the existing representatives being Lady Carbery and her son, aged eighteen years. It is a very big pile of buildings situated round an extensive courtyard. At the time of the outbreak, which was at first noticed at 7 o’clock in the morning by the Galley Head coastguards, the Castle was in the occupation of the steward and his wife. In a short time the entire roof was alight. The farm laborers and attendants employed on the estate, to the number of thirty, were soon on the scene, and fire appliances, with hose and a good water supply, were put into immediate operation, but it was evident that the fire had such a hold of the upper premises, where it broke out, that there was little chance of saving the Castle. The employees rescued valuable property in the shape of antique furniture, paintings, and the tapestries. These were chiefly on the ground floor, and the salvage was most successful, including a valuable Vandyck, which has boon an heirloom of the family for generations. A great effort was made to save the notable oak-room, a spacious chamber built of solid oak, where the pictures and tapestries were located, but beyond the rescue of the most valuable pictures the efforts of the helpers were unsuccessful, and the magnificent hall was completely destroyed, including a beautiful organ which has been in Castle Freke for many years. The Cork Fire Brigade were summoned from Cork, and they rendered some good service, but the destruction of the Castle was complete, and nothing now remains but the bare walls. The fire is attributed to a defective flue. It is assumed that some of the old timber joists, which usually find their way into these flues, got gradually ignited and led to the conflagration. The loss is estimated at £25,000, which is covered by insurance. There was a valuable collection of silver, which was stored in a strong room on the ground floor, and this was intact. DUBLINA Distinguished Scientist The death is announced of Dr. Edward Perceval Wright, F.R.C.5.1., J.P., F.L.S., which occurred at Trinity College, where he continued to reside after resigning the Professorship of Botany in 1904. Dr. Wright, who died it the advanced age of 76 years, was a very well-known public man, who will be remembered by Nationalists as the founder of the Irish Protestant Home Rule Association, a man who adhered consistently and courageously to his Nationalist principles, while to the learned world Dr. Wright is known as a man of the highest scholastic attainments. A native of Dublin, Dr. Wright was associated with Trinity College throughout his career. A Canard On March 8 a most influential and representative meeting of citizens of Dublin assembled in the Round Room of the Mansion House in response to a circular issued by the Lord Mayor in connection with the Parliamentary Fund in Dublin. The Lord Mayor presided. The proceedings were private, and numerous letters were read enclosing subscriptions. Sergeant Moriarty, K.C., wrote enclosing a cheque for £25. In opening the proceedings, the Lord Mayor stated that the object for which he had called that meeting was to inaugurate in the City of Dublin a collection for the Parliamentary Fund for the year 1910 in response to the appeal of the National Trustees. A resolution was proposed by Surgeon MacArdle, seconded by Lorcan Sherlock, T.C., and unanimously adopted, strongly pledging the meeting to support the Irish Party, and cordially approving of the party’s action under Mr. Redmond’s leadership. The collections from the city wards announced at the meeting amounted to over £IOOO. Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P., in supporting the resolutions, said he was proud to be there that night to witness as fine a manifestation of public spirit and National confidence as it had ever been his good fortune to experience. He had been engaged in National work in every part of the English-speaking world; and never had lie seen such prompt and noble generosity! He was amused by the statement that had appeared in some of the papers that evening that there were ‘ differences of opinion ’ existing between leading members of the

Irish Parliamentary Party in regard to matters of National policy. This was a figment of a disordered imagination. Mr. Redmond spoke for the Irish Party; and Mr. Dillon, Mr. O’Connor, and himself were absolutely in agreement with Mr. Redmond in that policy. Mr. Redmond spoke not only for Mr. Dillon and Mr. O’Connor, hut for every member of the Irish Party, who realised that not only was the course he adopted wise and statesmanlike, but that he had handled the Parliamentary position with magnificent skill, and had raised himsfelf higher than ever in the estimation of the Irish people. An Appointment Sir Thomas Myles, M.D., 8.5., has been appointed one of the honorary surgeons to his Majesty in Ireland, in room of the late Sir William Thomson, K.C.8., M.D. Sir Thomas is the son of Limerick and Tipperary parents, and is 53 , years of age ‘ He is a member of the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, in which he is a Professor of Pathology; was appointed house surgeon of Steeven’s Hospital in 1881, and was secretary to the Dublin Hospitals Commission in 1885. He was also examiner to the Conjoint Board of the Royal Colleges for several years. A Well-known Business Man The death on March 3 of Sir Ralph Cusack at his residence, Furry Park, Raheny, removes one of the best known figures in the commercial life of Dublin. Born in 1822, he lived his long life in Dublin, and-took a prominent part in many public movements. He was chairman of the Board of Directors of the Midland Great Western Railway Company of Ireland from 186& to 1904, when he retired. Temperance Legislation The Workmen’s Temperance Committee held a meeting on Sunday, March 6, to demand the closing of licensed premises on St. Patrick’s Day. Father Alphonsus, O.S.F.C. in a stirring speech, which was enthusiastically received, spoke of the former legislators of our country, who were so famed for their wisdom, and although their enactments formed the basis of the wisest laws ever made in civilised communities, yet our present-day masters did not consider that we were fit or wise enough to indulge in the experiment of law-making. Had we the power of making laws, there would have been no necessity for that meeting. Resolutions affirming the necessity of closing licensed houses on at. Patrick s Day were unanimously adopted*. School Extension 1 His , race the Archbishop of Dublin presided on Sunday, March 3 over a meeting held in St. Joseph’s Church, G last mile, with the object of raising funds for the erection there of new national schools. The Very Rev. Canon Murray, .P., having made a statement showing the urgent necessity for better school accommodation for the children of the parish, speeches in support of the object of the meeting were made by Mr. J. J. , Clancy, Q.C., M.P., the Tho C M r ;°n nera k M w n P- - J Brady, M.P., and others. ~ 0 Most Rev. Dr. Walsh, in putting the resolutions from the chair, said that of all the parochial work that could be set on foot in a district such as that he knew of none so important, or that had so strong a claim on the practical sympathy of the Bishop -.of that or any. other diocese, as that of providing sufficient and suitable school accommodation for the children, especially for the children of those ulio, if left unaided, would be unable to provide that accommodation themselves. Having paid a warm tribute to the generosity of those who contributed their pennies weekly often out of their poverty, to the work of religion and education, his Grace subscribed £IOO to the building fund, and said he hoped to give another £IOO before the work was finished. « FERMANAGH—A Long-lived Family Michael Keenan, who is 101, and his son Patrick, 75, reside at Parsons Green, Newtownbutler, County x ermanagh. Both are old-age pensioners. They come of a king-lived family, an uncle having died at the age of 115. A} 1 ® eldei Keenan, who is deaf, but otherwise in- possession of his faculties, took the Father Mathew pledge in 1843. GALWAY—The Bishop of Clonfert The Right Rev. Dr. Gilmartin, Bishop of Clonfert, paid his first official visit on March 6 to the parish of Balhnasloe, where he was presented with a number of addresses. In the course of an eloquent speech his Lordship said he believed in the policy of supporting a pledge-bound party in the House of Commons, who should of course take cognisance of the views and sympathies of their constituents. He was not going to sit in judgment on the supporters of the few Independent Nationalists who had broken with the Party. It did not become a novice to lecture his elders. But he would say it was a pity that all honest Irishmen did not see their way to fall into line with the National forces and lend to their ranks the solidarity and power of a disciplined organisation. Dealing with the language movement, he said'he was not gong to assume that anybody present would maintain that the Irish language should not be taught in their elementary, secondary and University schools. He thought the governors of the National University had made very generous provisions within their means for' the higher teaching of Irish subjects.

He only hoped that the enthusiasm which had had such a phenomenal success would not die of disappointed hopes. What was needed mostly just now was united action on parallel lines. He could not see what the politician had to fear from the industrial movement or from the language movement. All might, he thought, be combined in a Sinn Fein policy, that was a policy of supporting themselves along every available avenue. The Bishop’s remarks with regard to the necessity of unity will, it is certain,'have excellent effects. ROSCOMMON—Serious Bog Slide As we were informed by cable message at the time the incessant rains during the last week of February were responsible for a disastrous bog slide at Castlerea. On March 2 portion of two thousand acres of bog at Cloonfellive, on the Worthington estate, broke away, and, moving several hundred yards, inundated the houses and small farms on the lowlands, causing the occupants and their families to fly for their lives. A gang of men were set to work to cut open drains to allow the surplus, water to escape, and, by relieving the pressure, stop the movement, but this work was necessarily slow, and the danger to the men was considerable. The people in the locality, were in a state of. panic. Some of the people reported the slide to • Mr. Fitzgibbon, who at once telegraphed for the County Surveyor. A couple of years ago a most disastrous bog slide occurred near Castlerea at Cloonsteeven. WATERFORD—Death of a Religious The death, occurred on February 27 at Waterford of Sister Mary Benedict, of the-Order of St. John of God. Deceased contracted fever while ministering to the sick, to which she succumbed. She was a daughter of the late Mr. Kenny,''Ballycannon, County Kilkenny, and became a member of the community twenty-eight years ago, being connected with the Waterford branch since its establishment 1 ' in 1893. GENERAL The Promotion of Temperance By direction of the Irish Bishops, the novona in honor of St. Patrick, which opened on Tuesday, March 8, was offered for the further extension of the temperance movement now making such headway throughout Ireland. Good Advice Mr. Frank Mac Dermot (brother of The MacDormot), in sending a contribution to the Irish Parliamentary Fund says that Nationalists at the present time should accord their financial support to the Irish Party and reserve expression of opinion, thus according to their spokesmen at Westminster a little of the genuine confidence which English political parties accord to their leaders. Old Age Pensions and Pauperism The Old Age Pensions scheme has greatly lessened pauperism in Ireland. An official return just issued shows that the number of paupers in Ireland has decreased by 2163, and the number of persons receiving outdoor relief by something over 1000. Cottage Industries The annual meeting of the Royal Irish Industrial Association held recently at Londonderry House, London, under the presidency of the Marchioness of Londonderry, was largely attended. Mr. J. S. Wood, in the absence of Lord Arthur Hill, read the report, in which it was stated that the Sheffield sale in October was the' most successful ever held in the provinces since that in Liverpool in 1905. The gross takings were £2807 5s lid. Since the Association was established over £174,164 worth of ware from the hand of industrious Irish peasants had been sold through the London branch up to December last. The sales at the Depot last year reached a record figure. With reference to the St. Patrick’s Day’s sale at Grosvenor House, the report stated that the King and Queen had given their patronage/ 9 and the Princess of Wales, at the request of Lady Londonderry, had consented to open the sale. Sales of Towns and Villages The extension of the demand for the inclusion of towns and villages in the sale of estates is attested by the correspondence read at the meeting of the Executive of the Town Tenants’ League. This question (remarks the Freeman's Journal ) no longer presents insuperable difficulties. A theory has been sold to the tenants and five hundred acres have been divided among them the sale of Thurles is approaching completion, and in Kilfinane, Emly, and Hospital arrangements have been practically perfected. The letters read at the meeting show that in no fewer than twenty-two centres this movement commands support. It would have national dimensions once it was understood that the existence of the towns and villages depends upon the solution of a problem that has saddened all observers of conditions in those communities. And wherever sales have been carried out decay has been arrested and new life infused into the purchasing tenants.