Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 7 September 1911, Page 1755

Irish News

ARMAGH —Analyzing the Figures Mr. William Moore, M.P., declared at Armagh on July 12 that if he and his friends gave the signal, 200,000 Orangemen would rise in arms and insist that their leaders should not be kept out of jobs (says the Irish Weekly). Seeing this reported in the papers, one of the ‘ special correspondents ’ from London solemnly assured the readers of his English journal that ‘ 470,000 men took part in various Ulster demonstrations on July 12.’ Before the numbers (in paper and ink) have grown to half a million, we must produce a few facts. The total population of Ulster three months ago was 1,578,572. These figures included 690,134 Catholicsall Nationalists, we understand. Other creeds —and no creed-numbered 888,438. A large percentage of these people are Nationalists or Liberals. Emigration has drained the youthful manhood out of Ulster as out of the other provinces. There are more women than men in the nine Northern counties. , If the women, the old men, and the youths from a month to twenty years were taken from the Unionist population of Ulster, little more than 150,000 ‘ able-bodied men ’ would remain; and all the able-bodied males of the province could not rally at one time to the slogan of Mr. Moore. The London gentleman’s 470,000 ’ have vanished.

CORK—Nursing Sisters in Fermoy The new convent of the Nursing Sisters of the Little Company of Mary, at Fermoy, was opened on July 16 by the Bishop of Cloyne. His Lordship gave an address, in which he announced that the Holy Father had sent his Apostolic Blessing. Referring to the work of the Sisters, the Bishop said that their worth and work were well known, and was it not the bare truth to say that it would be difficult to overstate the value to both rich and poor of their beneficent mission ? To a Catholic the presence of a Nursing Sister in the sick-room meant something in addition to skilled nursing. Many a time she had been an angel of healing, not merely of the body, but of the soul also. DOWN—Lough Neagh Fisheries On July 14 the House of Lords dismissed the appeal in the Lough Neagh eel-fishing case. This was the second occasion on which the case was argued before the Lords. On the first occasion it was understood that there was an equal division of opinion among their Lordships. The appellants were Richard Johnston and others, representing the fishermen on the Lough, and the respondents Edward Armstrong O’Neill and others, the lessees of the fishings. Mr. Justice Ross declared the plaintiffs entitled to the exclusive right of fishing for eels in the Lough, and granted an injunction against the appellants fishing in that portion of the Lough known as Toome Bay. The Lord Chancellor said this was a case in which what was virtually a paper title of great antiquity, unsupported by any satisfactory evidence of actual possession, and resting on documents which were open to serious criticism, was put forward in order - to obtain the exclusive enjoyment of what had never been enjoyed under it before, and to displace an industry which, whether a public right could exist or not, had been carried on under the eye of all concerned from time immemorial. Lord Halsbury, who differed, declined to make the law suit any popular claim. Lord Ashbourne took a similar view, although he thought . there might be some modification of the order of the Irish Courts. Lord Macnaghton was also against the appellants, and so was Lord Dunedin, while Lord Shaw and Lord Robson agreed with the Lord Chancellor.. .

DUBLIN—A Rush of Visitors > During the Royal sojourn in Dublin the Dublin United Tramways Company catered for over two million passengers. It was by far the biggest rush experienced in any similar period, and the number of passengers carried, as compared with a corresponding number of days in either King Edward’s or Queen

Victoria's visit, showed an increase of about 50 per cent. , -

The Freedom of the City

On July 18 a special meeting of the Dublin City Council was held in the City Hall for the purpose of conferring the freedom of the City of Dublin upon Dr. Kuno Meyer and Very Rev. Peter Canon O'Leary, Castlelyons, County Cork,' in recognition of their services to the Irish race and to the Irish language. On the motion of Mr. John T. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Cosgrave, the motion was unanimously adopted.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians

Speaking at the biennial convention of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Dublin, Mr. J. Devlin, M.P., said that the progress made by this Order during the past twelve months was marvellous. It is a record (he said) without a parallel in the history of any similar Irish organisation. It constitutes the Order the greatest Irish organisation of its kind which has ever existed, whether in point of numerical strength, of unity, of efficiency, or of loyalty to common principles. I think that is a record of which any society might well be proud. What is most remarkable about it is that it has not been due to any extraordinary effort in the way of propaganda by the official staff. At the end of 1909 we had 646 divisions affiliated. We have now 755—an increase of 109 divisions in two years. The increase in membership in Ireland has been 7683; in Scotland, 3792; in England, 354; in Wales, 100; the total increase being 11,929. The South African division has increased by 50 members, and is one of the most promising of those affiliated. The figures with regard to some of the Irish counties are very interesting. The greatest increase of all has been 2141 in the County of Cork. Next to Cork comes Leitrim, with an increase of 1301, and then Dublin with 1232 Louth shows an increase of 762, and Monaghan an increase of 204. There can be no doubt that the more the principles of the Order are known the greater will be the anxiety for membership of it. On its merits it is, bound to grow and flourish amongst Irishmen. QALWAY—Re-opening of a Church The solemn re-opening of St. Joseph's Church, Clifden, after considerable improvement, took place on Sunday, July 16, when a large congregation attended. The sacred edifice, which is now one of the prettiest m all Connemara, was built by the late Dean MacManus, and much improved by the late Canon Lynskey, and now the finishing touches have been given it by Monsignor McAlpine, the present pastor, who travelled through America recently, collecting funds for the purpose. His Grace the Most Rev. Dr Healy Archbfsliop of Tuam, presided at High Mass, which was celebrated by Rev. A. Eaton, the newly-appointed Dean of Maynooth. The Right Rev. Dr. Gilmartin, -Bisnop of Clonfert, preached an eloquent sermon He congratulated the pastor and the people on the beauty of their church, and in the presence of the Metropolitan who he hoped would long reign over them, and ol the priests who had honored the occasion, he asked «I? *? : con * ribute according to their means to wipe oft the debt on the sacred edifice. Referring to modern objections to elaborate church building, his Lordship said he would not argue the matter before people whose fathers in times of poverty, built that church, and spurned the gold offered to them in exchange for their -C aifcn.

Saved from Drowning By the prompt and courageous action of Rev. Murtagh Farragher and his curate, three men were saved from drowning at Arran Isles. The canoe which they occupied overturned, and the crew got pinned beneath it. the two clergymen lost no time in coming to the rescue, and succeeded in righting the small craft and releasing the men from their perilous position

KERRY—Thanks to the King , At a . recent meeting of the Listowel Board of Guardians, Mrs. B. Foran, V.C., presiding, a vote of thanks was passed to his Majesty the King for hia clemency in ordering the release of Edward and Daniel

Dowling, of Gunsborough, two brothers, who had been sentenced at the... Cork Assizes two years ago to ten years' penal servitude for a shooting incident.:. Mrs. Foran also wished to include* his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant and Lady Aberdeen, who, she said, was one of the world's greatest women, and who had, by her charming personality and natural goodness, captivated and won over the hearts of the Irish people. Other members spoke in a similar strain, and the vote was passed with acclamation.

KILKENNY—A Representative Peer

By the death of Lord Bellew in his 57th year a vacancy has been created in the representative peerage of Ireland, to which he was elected in 1904. He was one of the two Catholic members of the 28 Irish representative peers, the other being the Earl of Westmeath. The fact that both were Conservatives accounted for their election, a peer of Liberal opinions having no chance in recent years of being chosen. Lord Rellew is succeeded in the. Irish which was created in 1848, by his brother, Major George Bryan, who served with the 10th Hussars through the Afghan and Nile cmpaigns and with the Yeomanry in the South African war. Born in 1857, he changed his name from Bellew to Bryan in 1881, when he succeeded to the estate of his uncle, Colonel George Bryan, M.P., at Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny. This was one of the estates saved to old Catholic families in Ireland (says a writer in the Daily News) through the friendly connivance of Protestant neighbors in the penal days.

LIMERICK—The Bishop's Jubilee

Reference was made to the silver jubilee of the Bishop of Limerick at the meeting of the Limerick District Asylum Board. Lord Emly paid a remarkable tribute to his Lordship, and proposed that the following message be sent to the Bishop. The proposition was adopted unanimously:—'That we, the committee of management of the Limerick Lunatic Asylum, desire at this our first meeting since the. triennial elections to respectfully and lovingly congratulate your Lordship on the occasion of your silver jubilee. We pray that God may long spare you to us, your diocese, to your country, and to the Church. We solicit your prayers and ask your blessing on us and on our families.' MAYO—Death of a Canon

The Very Rev. James Canon Stephens, P.P., V.F., of Ballinrobe, Mayo, died in a private hospital in Dublin about the middle of July, the sad news being received with great regret both in the capital and by the Canon's own people. The late Canon Stephens was appointed pastor of Ballinrobe in 1905, and the manner in which he discharged the duties of his sacred ministry won for him the affectionate regard of all who knew him. He was a strong supporter of the Irish Party, and a few months ago was present at a Nationalist meeting in Ballinrobe. The remains of the deceased clergyman were conveyed to Ballinrobe, where they were interred amid scenes of the keenest regret on the part of the people of the town and indeed of the whole County of Mayo.

WATERFORD—The Augustinian Order

In the Augustinian College, Dungarvan, recently, the Most Rev. Thomas Rodriguez, General of the Augustinian Order, was presented with an address on behalf of the Urban Council and townspeople. The reply, which expressed sympathy and love for the Irish people, was translated into English from Italian by Very Rev. Dr. Maurice McGrath, O.S.A.