Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 12 January 1911, Page 73

Irish News

ARMAGH—Cardinal Logue in Dundalk Oh November 22 the people of Dundalk presented to Cardinal Logue an address of welcome on the occasion of his first visit to the town since his return from Canada and the United States. Some weeks before his Eminence was the recipient of a tribute from the whole of the diocese, and this special token of the affection of the people of Dundalk must have taken him by surprise. As before, Cardinal Logue impressed upon his people the fidelity of the Irish Catholics in America and Canada to Faith and Fatherland, and he dwelt with emphasis upon the happiness and prosperity enjoyed by the people of the Dominion as a result of self-government. Canada, he said, was great because it was free. CLAREA Fishing Disaster A disaster involving the deaths of three fishermen Michael McNamara, John McNamara, and Patrick Houlihantook place off Kilkee about the _ middle of November. John, McNamara was a Town Commissioner of Kilkee. CORK—A Golden Jubilee A large gathering of clergy was present at the Pontifical Mass celebrated at the Presentation Convent, Cork, by the Archbishop of Cashel to commemorate the golden jubilee of Mother do Pazzi, who was professed at Thurles just fifty years ago. A Serious Fire The St. John’s Steam Flour Mills, the property of Messrs. Shaw and Sons, situated in John street, Cork, were burned down on Sunday, November 20, involving damage to the extent of thousands of pounds. The main building was five storeys high and occupied a considerable frontage. The malting stores of the Lady’s Well Brewery are only divided by a narrow lane from the burned building, while at the south side the extensive timber yards of Messrs. Eustace and Co. were only separated by John street. The mill contained the newest kinds of machinery, while the stores were filled with a great quantity of flour, bran, and other products. DUBLlN—Blackrock College The Fathers of the Order of the Holy Ghost have suffered an almost irreparable loss by the death of Very Rev. Father Fogarty, late President of Blackrock College, which took place after a prolonged illness at that institution on November 16. Deceased was one of the most distinguished members of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. He was a brilliant student not only of the College of the Order in Paris, where his earlier studies were pursued, but in the principal houses of the Order in France. He was a professor for many years in the colleges of the Order in Ireland, and was practically the founder of one of its most successful day schools for junior and intermediate pupils* in Dublin—St. Mary’s College, Rathmines—which has grown to be a great collegiate institution during the last twelve years. He subsequently became President of Blackrock College, and held office for several years, during which the college was most successful, and maintained its great traditions in educational ranks, the students during his time securing not only high Intermediate and University distinctions, but also remarkable successes in profession! examinations and in the higher branches of the Civil Service both at home and in India. Irish Music Much interest was evinced in a lecture on Irish Music delivered a few weeks ago in the local Catholic Club by the Rev. Thomas Farrell, Meath street, Dublin. In the course of his address Father Farrell said all Europe was indebted more or .less to Ireland for the influence of her music. Geminnani, a pupil of the celebrated Corelli, speaking of music in the United Kingdom, 1 said they had no original music but the Irish. It had been acknowledged by every nation in Europe that music was cultivated in Ireland when melody was scarcely known in other countries. Much had been written in attempting to describe what it was that distinguished Irish music from that of other nations. Apart from an artistic construction peculiarly Celtic there was an indefinable charm about the ancient melodies that could not be easily explained. Walker, in Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, wrote: c The Irish music is in some degree distinguished from the music of other nations by an interesting sweetness which forces its way irresistibly to the heart, through every fibre of the frame, awakens sensibility and rouses or calms the soul.’ Sir William Stokes wrote: ‘lt was Petrie’s opinion that the music of Ireland stood preeminent among that of other Celtic nations, in beauty and power of expression, especially in her caoines, her lamentations, and her love songs.’ Treatment of Nuns in Portugal

■ _Gn the motion of Dr. McWalter, seconded by Alderman Coffey, ,the following resolution was unanimously passed by the Dublin Corporation:— That the Corporation of Dublin

strongly condemns the treatment to which the Republican authorities in Portugal have subjected certain Irish nuns resident in that country, who were not only expelled from their convents, but imprisoned, and finally left without any means of returning home; and that a copy of this resolution, signed with the city seal, be sent to the Portuguese representatives in London and to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs.’ ' GALWAY— Bishop and the Gaelic League A largely-attended meeting was held at Galway ! recently for the purpose of reviving the local branch of the Gaelic League. On the motion of the Rev. A. J. Considine, seconded by Mr. P. O’Daly, general secretary of the Gaelic League, the Most Rev. Dr. O’Dea, Bishop of Galway, took the chair amid applause. His Lordship said: ‘ I have reason to thank you for the privilege of presiding at a meeting , such as this. I believe, on excellent authority, that 1 am not expected to make a speech this evening; I am not sure that I am not even allowed to make a speech, because I am speaking in English. I am afraid it is forbidden to speak in any language this evening except Irish. We are not all at present able to understand Irish; and if we were, there probably would not be the same need for a branch of the Gaelic League in Galway that there is. When I was told that a meeting was about to be held here for the purpose of re-establishing a branch of the Gaelic League in Galway, I confess I was surprised and disappointed, because I do not think there is any town in Ireland in which there ought to be a more successful branch of the Gaelic League than in this town of Galway, and I know if there was any want of success in the past it was not due to the lack of able and earnest workers. I was surprised, therefore, that there should be any need for a revival, but I think I can promise it will be the last occasion on which a meeting will be held for such a purpose. We have got a very considerable accession of strength within the last few months in Galway, and I have reason, therefore, to hope, and I am satisfied that in the future there will be nowhere in Ireland a more active or a more enthusiastic branch of the Gaelic League than here in Galway.’ KILKENNYA New Bridge Kilkenny’s new bridge, which replaces St. John’s Bridge that spanned the Nore under the shadow of Ormonde Castle, was formally opened for traffic on November 21. The bridge was built by joint contributions from the Kilkenny Corporation and the Kilkenny County Council, and the opening ceremony was performed by the Mayor of the City (Alderman Potter) and the Chairman of the County Council (Mr. Joseph Walsh). It is a ferroconcrete structime, built at a cost of £6000.. The span (140 ft) is the largest in the three kingdoms. The opening ceremony, which was attended by the members of the Corporation in state and the members of the County Council, was performed in the presence of a large and representative gath•enng of the city and county. KERRY —The Study of Gaelic Mr. O’Carroll, Gaelic League organiser, reports that the movement is 1 making rapid headway-in Tralee and other parts of Kerry. He says that in the Presentation Convent in Tralee he found the infants able to carry on a simple conversation in Irish and to recite and sing Irish songs. There were about 55 pupils reading ‘ Seadhna ’ in same school, and about 400 reading simpler texts. Mr. O r lynn, the Irish teacher of the district, conducts a special class for National teachers on Saturdays, at which about 40 teachers attend. Special classes for the nuns are also HTo iV- 1 each T .°t l the r three convents. At Rathmore Rev. T U Sullivan P.P., informed the organiser that he did his best to make the Irish language the language of the playground in the sixteen schools in his parish, and considered that every house in Rathmore ought to be an Irish school and every father and mother an Irish teacher. TYRONE—A Windfall A farm laborer named John McCluskey, who has been employed on a farm at Bunby, near Glasgow (says a Home exchange), has become heir to a huge fortune, said to ex-ceed a quarter of a million sterling. Some time ago an advertisement, signed by a New York lawyer and a Glasgow firm of lawyers, was published offering a' reward for information as to the whereabouts of John McCluskey, formerly of Annahilla Tyrone. A legal representative and a relation visited the farm and informed McClusky that he was the heir to a huge fortune. In company with his two visitors, the laborer immediately proceeded to Glasgow. Jr l ™™? 11 ®!’ - Jt s stated > has been left by a brother of McCluskey s in the United States, with whom he had had no correspondence for twenty years. GENERAL A Rural Industry . One of the most striking developments of rural industry m Ireland (remarks the breeman’s Journal) is the great increase of the national stock of poultry, now estimated at twenty-four million birds. Ten years ago the number was eighteen millions. , Turkeys form a considerable proportion of the whole stock. In Tipperary, which has the tenth largest stock of fowl in Ireland, buyers spend thousands of pounds on their purchases every year. The repute of the

Irish bird in foreign markets has been enhanced as a result of the attention paid to breeding, and of course facilities for marketing Irish poultry have been greatly increased in recent years. Ireland’s Foreign Trade In an address on Ireland’s foreign trade, delivered in London, Mr. J. P. Boland, M.P. for South Kerry, said that Ireland’s total trade with foreign countries had increased from £104,000,000 in 1904 to £125,000,000 in 1909.A Contrast At the present moment (remarks the Catholic Times Conservative speakers, apparently having scarcely any other subject upon which they desire to dwell, describe in pathetic language from public platforms the woes and perils of the poor Protestants of Ireland who are suffering so excruciatingly at the hands of their Catholic fellow-countrymen. Their case is a hard one. Here is an illustration of how they are persecuted. Writing to us apropos of a recent remark to the effect that the halls of the Dublin University were crowded, . which, as might be inferred, _ meant that the halls of the constituent colleges of the National University are thus full, Professor Stockly, of University College, Cork, says in reference to the Queen’s University, Belfast; At the present political moment it may be noted that the excellent Belfast staff of professors does not include one Catholic. The pqpulation of Belfast, I believe, has one quarter Catholic. It may be further noted that about an excellent half of the Cork professors are Protestant some half of the new appointments there have been Protestant two of them from generous Belfast. The Cork population has not one quarter of Protestants. I don’t think, therefore, that the Cork Protestants hold themselves persecuted pace some of the spokesmen of part of the North-East corner of Ulster.’ People who support this sort of inequality are naturally against Home Rule and any other system of rule that would ensure fair play all round. Land Purchase Statistics Mr. Birrell, speaking in the House of Commons about the middle of November in answer to a question, said; ‘ The Estates Commissioners inform me that up to the 12th instant £62,043,177 has been advanced to vendors under the Irish Land Purchase Acts, 1870 to 1909; the amounts of advances in the financial years ending March 31, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 being respectively £5,747,644, £4,954,281, £6,430,469, and £6,920,005. In accordance with the regulations issued under the Irish Land Act, 1909, vendors were allowed up to April 1, 1910, to choose whether they would accept payment partly or wholly in stock. No advances in stock, therefore, were made during the year ending March 31, 1910. Since that date the Commissioners have advanced £1,433,184 in cash, £403,369 partly in cash and partly in 21 per cent, stock, £105,884 in 21 per cent, stock, and £70,363 in 3 per cent, stock. An Election Manifesto In the manifesto to the electors issued by the United Irish League of Great Britain the following reference was made to the House of Lords: —‘ To-day the House of Lords is true to its evil history, for it alone stands athwart the path of Irish liberty. The British masses, the great colonies, all call oti't for the reconciliation of the British and Irish peoples by the grant of self-government to Ireland; but the House of Lords obstinately and insolently resists the appeal. Its fall, then, is the rise of Ireland. On this point there can be no room for doubts. If this election is won the battle for Home Rule is won, and a victory at this election is. a decisive and final victory for Home Rule.’ Having quoted Mr. Asquith’s words at the Albert Hall in support of that _ statement, the authors of the manifesto argue that the issue at the election ‘ is between a party which -works for the self-government and the reconciliation of Ireland and a party which has nothing but a message of hate for Ireland. That fact, if further proof were required, is demonstrated by the attacks which have filled Tory speeches and Tory journals since the dissolution was announced —attacks shameless as well as brutal and senseless, because they come from lips and pens that but a short time ago were pleading for Home Rule. A somersault so indecent and so abrupt from one set of principles to another has never been exhibited even in the history of the Tory Party. The cry of American dollars comes from the lips of men who were not ashamed for more than two generations to put into their pockets the money which the robust arms and the generous and unselfish hearts of our people across the Atlantic sent to their oppressed and povertystricken relatives at home. No American dollars for the cause of Irish freedom; millions of American dollars for the sacred rack rent! Such is the cry of the Tory Party.’