Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 25 May 1911, Page 967

Irish News

ANTRIM—A Spirit of Independence and Toleration The annual meeting of the Ulster Liberal. Association was held in : Belfast recently under the chairmanship of Sir Hugh Mack, Mr. T. W. Russell being the principal' speaker. Mr. Russell said that, - looking back over an experience of many years, he could truly say that .he never remembered the country being in a 'more satisfactory : and : - hopeful state. Reformation proceeded apace; crime was: at .a; very low ebb, and the , people generally ;- were contented j and fairly prosperous. .. With the advent of better times there: had ; come a spirit of independence, toleration, sobriety, and good feeling, which would stand for the settlement of Ire- : land both politically and socially. The Protestant minority in the South and West of Ireland were in many cases the leaders in commerce and agriculture. -These people, living in intensely Catholic "communities, had no ; fear; of Irish self-government. The -Protestant ~ democracy of Dublin, said Mr. Russell, would not always be. the dupes of leaders who did not know how to lead.- : A year or two of -honest and fair government, would convince them that their civil and religious liberty would stand unimpaired, and that by becoming Irishmen they had lost nothing and had gained much for themselves and for -their country v , ._„,, World's. Greatest Dry Dock %, The latest graving dock in the world, : constructed at the lower end of the County Down side of Belfast Harbour, was opened on April 1 by the successful docking therein ?of the world's largest vessel, the new 45,000 tons White Star liner Olympic, recently launched from Harland and ; Wolff's yard. The dock is" 850 ft long, 100 ft wide on the floor, and 42ft Gin deep from coping to floor. Its cost was £350,000, and it took eight years to construct. Perfect ease and very little commotion on the part of the workmen either on the steamer or on shore attended the ceremony, | which was witnessed by thousands of enthusiastic spectators, thronging both sides of the Lagan. So well were the arrangements carried out that the docking was completed within 50 minutes, and just at high tide the great Vessel was in her new environment without a scrape on the paint of her vast hull. - -,. ■..,-. •„.-.■ ,^ Serious Fire in Belfast ■ ,M On Sunday morning, March 26, the Belfast Fire Brigade were engaged for several hours at a serious outbreak s which occurred -on the premises of Messrs. Patterson and Sons and of D. Leitch and Co., flax merchants, of Talbot street. Over 150 tons of flax were stored in the premises, and this was completely destroyed. The damage to .the contents alone amounted to over £IO,OOO, while the partial destruction of the premises will add to the total loss. In the present scarcity of flax the fire will affect the local linenv industry. _ . : ■■:■■■;':. :- -,,.•■.. x " ' " --.•'-- DOWN—-An Interesting Find While digging his land near Novia, Co. Down, the other . day, s,a farmer .turned up a bronze coin about the size of a two shilling piece, ■ He cleaned it, and found to his astonishment that it was a Roman coin nearly i 2000 years old. It is said that on one side it bears a clear impress of the head of the Roman Emperor, Vespasian, who lived a.d. 9 to 79. DUBLlN—Candidates for Confirmation During the last week in -March his Grace the Archbishop of Dublin administered the Sacrament of Confirmation, in accordance with his annual custom, in the Metropolitan Church, to more than 900 children. Owing to the prevalence of sickness in the city and the large number of children, his Grace, with characteristic thoughtfulness, dispensed the children from the usual catechetical examination. At the conclusion of the ceremony his Grace deliverer! . a short adress to the. children ,in. which he exhorted them to be mindful of the obligations they contracted .in the Sacrament of Confirmation, and be ever faithful _in Rafter , ; life to their religious duties. He then administered the pledge to the children present. Groaned and Hooted The strained relations which have for a long time past existed between the Protestants attending St. John's Church, Sandymount, owing to Ritualistic practices which it is alleged have been introduced by the incumbent, were further emphasised on Sunday, April 2. The Most Rev. Dr. Peacoke, Protestant Archbishop of the diocese, when on his way to his carriage, after having conducted a Confirmation service in the building, was groaned and hooted by members of the congregation who had assembled outside the church. • -:: ;•; ;;-• Death of a Priest yjf l Much regret is expressed throughout the diocese of Dublin at the death of the Very Rev. Richard Conlaii, which occurred at his residence, Darthmouth square, on April 2. • The late' Father Conlan was " formerly parish priest ,of St. Michan's > and a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Dublin. He had been in failing health for

some years, and had resigned several important positions. He had served in the Pro-Cathedral parish;; Dublin, for upwards of twenty years, and was much * beloved' by all -who knew him. , , <is-:m -:.y-t *>.-%? ?■■•,.,..:;,- ; ', '^\ The Corporation and T Women's \ Suffrage-3's->~ •* /Dublin-? Corporation, by a majority, has decided to : attend at the Bar* of the House of Commons to present a petition in favor of Women's Suffrage. ysih .:;-: GALWAY—The New Cathedral # . The Most Rev. Dr. Clancy, Bishop of Elphin, in sending to Most Rev. Dr O'Dea, Bishop of Galway, a. cheque for £25, being the first instalment " of an intended subscription of £IOO towards the fund , for the erection "of the new Galway Cathedral; says now that Galway is likely to become an important centre of University life, it J ought not to be difficult to: persuade the public of the need of a Cathedral Church, and' he has no doubt generous co-opera-tion will come from many quarters;': • %.v~ sDj".;'":? : KING'S COUNTY—A Supposed Miser's Hoard . . While a laborer was working in a hay shed which -was undergoing renovation at ' Clonbullogue, Edenderry, King'* County, he came across? a considerable quantity of money, which-was securely tied in a handerchief. The parcel contained £ll3 in gold, £3 in silver, as well as some coppers. Hip workman instantly reported, the matter to the police, who are '' making inquiries. ; The belief is expressed that the hoard belonged to some miser tramp who slept in the hayshed for a night, and i absent-mindedly left his money behind. The police have taken possession of the 'find, and if the owner does not come forwards it may revert to the Crown as 'treasure trove.' •-•-..: LIMERICK—White Gloves for the Judge V A |, the Limerick City Quarter Sessions Court Judge Law. Smith was -presented with white gloves by Sheriff Halliday to mark the fact that no criminal case-was listed for hearing, g. The Judge said that he understood that a similar presentation would be made by the' county, and expressed his satisfaction and gratitude «at this happy condition of things. *i s —s'%SMß ?sh TIPPERARY—A Venerable Religious: ; • The death took place oh Sunday, April 2, of a venerable and widely-esteemed- Tipperary 'Nun,-' Rev. MotheAgnes Ryan, of the Presentation Convent, Fethard. Deceased, who had reached the venerable: age of 81 years came from the mother house in Thurles, 49 years ago,* to found the Fethard branch,' and the success of her halfcentury of zealous labor for religion and education, is to be found in the magnificent conventual establishment' that crowns the rocky eminence to the north-east"of the historic little town. * TYRONE-No Criminal Business .His Honor Judge Todd sat in Dungannon Courthouse on April 3, to dispose of the Crown business of the division. -. 1 he Under-sheriff said there being no : criminal business to come before the Court, it was his pleasing duty once more to present, his-Honor, with, a pair of white gloves. His Honor said he. was very pleased once more to receive white gloves from the Sheriff. The ; first time he sat in Dungannon he was much gratified to receive white gloves from the Sheriff, and had several times since had similar gifts. He was indeed very much gratified at the satisfactory state .of his native county. ; sir >>«> 'v-i'C* - GENERAL, [f u^ Emigration Figures ' Notwithstanding all the efforts of Irish industrial revivalists within recent years, emigration from Ireland for 1910 shows an increase of 3693 on the figures for 1909 (says the Glasgow Observer) Last year there left the country 32,923 persons— lß,ll3 males-and Q 14,810 females. To the exodus Leinster contributed 4208, Munster 8330, Connacht 7598, and 'prosperous' ..Ulster provided 12,271 emigrants, the average per 1000 of population being 3.7, 7.7, 11.7, /arid 7.8 for the provinces respectively. The most notable and most deplorable feature of the rush from the country lies in the fact that 86.9 per cent, of the emigrants were between the ages of 15 and y - the ver ? flow er; . of / th e population. Since 1851 4,18/ ,443 persons have emigrated from : Ireland, this being equivalent to 78 2 per cent, of the .average population. Munster provided 1,459, 239 to this deplorable total, bein,* equal to 104.8 per cent, of .the average population of the Vi°otv\ C oi Co^ a „ S ave 701,572, or 84.8 per cent.: Ulster 1,190,194, or 66.7 cent. ; and Leinster, 725,699 persons,' or the average of 53.8 per cent. }'•&#* n j : A: tm% ' A Strange Visitation ..... lt " ~,.^i ' ... w 5 ? re j .excitement was caused: in ; different districts? in Wexford Waterford, and; Tipperary towards the end of March through invasions of., the district by birds—principally starlings. Thousands descended Upon New Ross I causing consternation in the streets. Many of the birds were captured, and a great number- were drowned in the Harrow. It is thought that the birds -were on a migatdrv .expedition. In Camck-on : a v similar phenomenon occurred, the birds screaming' and dashing 7 against the

windows. Many dead birds were afterwards found in the streets and gardens. Flocks of curlews and starlings hovered over Carlow during most of the week, the sky being almost obscured by the vast numbers of these birds, which seemed to be in a state of panic. The birds were subsequently joined by wild-duck, blackbirds, thrushes, and woodquests. Many of them dashed themselves to death against the church steeple and other buildings, %he street being littered with dead and battered birds in the morning. Similar reports were received from Bagnalstown, Waterford, etc. Canadian Opinion The Toronto Globe of February .25 published an editorial article on the threats 'of- Ulster Unionists in case of Home Rule being granted, in the course of which it said: —' The opposition of Ulster to Home Rule is dictated by two considerations(l) religious prejudice, and (2) selfish class interests. The Ascendancy Party have for generations played on the religious susceptibilities of their honest but deluded followers. With a tenacity and doggedness worthy of a nobler cause the latter have, at the dictation of their leaders, opposed all legislation tending to broaden the rights and privileges of the Irish people, and gladly paid tithes and rack-rents rather than admit their Roman Catholic countrymen to the full rights of citizenship. The utmost that can be said in extenuation of their suicidal policy is that they are sincerely honest in their religious prejudices, and have not benefited by their traditional support of a narrow class ascendancy. Step by step they have been driven from behind the ramparts of feudalism, and at each reverse their irreconcilable hostility to democratic progress finds them weaker and more isolated. Two feudal strongholdsthe Church and the landlordhave been deprived of their class privileges, and the prophecies of dire disaster to Throne and Constitution are still unfulfilled. . . . Irish Nationality within the Empire is the goal towards which Ireland is irresistibly moving, and the destiny of the Empire, no less than that of Ireland, is the impelling force.' Religious Tolerance Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., speaking in Middlesbrough on April 2, addressed a crowded meeting of Irishmen. Home Rule, he said, meant the control of Irish affaifs by an Irith assembly, leaving control ,of Imperial affairs to the Imperial Parliament. Opinion was ripening in other parts of the kingdom towards local government for those parts as well. Home Rule went to the very roots of Imperial unity, policy, and well-being. He had practically never known more than a hot July afternoon devoted to Indian affairs by the House of Commons, a course which almost invited Imperial disaster, so disgraceful was the disproportion between the magnitude of the problem and the srnallness of time and attention given to it. Speaking of the religious bogey in Ireland, Mr. O'Connor said that tolerance in Ireland came from the Catholics towards the Protestants, and intolerance from the Orangemen towards the Nationalists. The Home Rule Bill would include a proviso safeguarding the religious liberty of every man in Ireland, and safeguarding religious equality for every creed. Speaking of the Anglo-American Peace Treaty, he said he believed it would come to pass, but its path could be smoothed if only the quarrel between the Irish and the English people was first settled. Centenarians The death is announced at Newport, County Tipperary, of Michael Sullivan, at the great age of 110 years. Until a short time ago he was possessed of wonderful vitality, both physically and mentally. He told many stories of the Fenian rising, in which he took an active part. The death is also intimated of Mary Connell at Oranmore, County Galway, who had attained the age of 106 years. Not to be Smuggled Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P., speaking in Sheffield on April 1, said the Irish did not want Home Rule smuggled through the House of Commons. They wanted the question examined, satisfied as to the result upon the enlightened judgment of the British people. Mr. Devlin addel that he would not take a step towards Home Rule if he thought it implied oppression towards a single Protestant in Ireland. Ireland's Foreign Trade Mr. J. P. Boland, M.P., in a lecture delivered to the "Irish Parliament' Branch, U.I.L. k London, on 'The Development of Ireland's Foreign Trade,' submitted statistics showing that four-fifths of Ireland's exports, which at present amount to £61,000,000 per annum, are sent to Great Britain, and only the remaining one-fifth go direct from Ireland to foreign ports.