People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 14 September 1911, Page 1813

People We Hear About

Mayor Gaynor, of New York, was on tour with a party of friends in Ireland in July. Newcastle West, a town in County Limerick, is the first in the United Kingdom to elect a lady Town Clerk. Mrs. John Flanagan, who has been appointed to that office, is the widow of her predecessor. The Marquis of Queensberry, who was received into the Church in 1908, has arrived in New York from England. He has decided to quit the ranks of the idle rich, and will seek to carve out a fortune at mining in the wilds of the Porcupine district of Canada. If fortune favors him, his two sons will follow his example. The death is reported of Sir John Chute Neligan, formerly Recorder of Cork and Chairman of Quarter Sessions. Born eighty-five years ago, a native of Tralee, and educated at Stonyhurst and Trinity College, Dublin, he was called to the Irish Bar as long ago as 1849. He took silk in 1874; was elected a Bencher of King's Inns in 1897 became a County Court Judge in Ireland, and subsequently served _ as Recorder of. Londonderry and of Cork. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Schwab, parents of Mr. Charles M. Schwab, the 'steel magnate, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home' : at Loretto (Philadelphia) recently. ' Mr. Schwab is seventy years of age; his wife is sixty-nine. Carrying suitable gifts, children and grandchildren, among the former Charles M. Schwab, gathered for the occasion. Special celebrations in Mr. and Mrs. Schwab's honor were held at St. Michael's Church, Loretto, and many congratulatory messages were received, among them greetings from Mr. Andrew Carnegie and cabled blessings and congratulations from the Pope. . •, Mr. John McCormack, who is the principal tenor in the Melba Opera Company, now in Australia, is a native of Athlone, where he was born 27 years ago. He studied for the Civil Service, and did not seriously turn his attention to music till 1902, when he took part in the National Irish Festival and won the gold medal for tenors. He.joined the choir of the ProCathedral, Dublin, in 1903; sang at the St. Louis Exhibition the following year; studied with Sabatini at Milan in 1905-6; appeared in important roles at Covent Garden in the Italian Opera Season of 1907, and with Tetrazzini in 1908. V ,- Mr. John Redmond Barry, K.C., who has been appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, is the third son of Mr. Patrick Barry, of Hill View, Cork. He is in his forty-fifth year, and was educated at St. Finbar's, Cork, and took his BA. degree at the Royal University of Ireland. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1888, took silk in 1899, and became a Bencher of King's Inn, Dublin, r in 1906 He was elected as a Liberal for North Tyrone in 1907, and re-elected in 1910. ••; - • .-■;, • Mr. Bacon, A.R.A., has received the"signal honor of being commissioned to paint the Coronation scene of King George and Queen Mary. It will be a stupendous undertaking, as there will, of necessity, be so many portraits of notabilities to be included in the picture. He it was who painted the King Edward Coronation picture which is included in the Exhibition of the Art of the Empire at the • Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace. He is peculiarly fitted for the task to which he has been assigned, as his portraiture is excellent. He is one of three Catholic Associates of the Royal Academy, his colleagues being Mr. Frank Brangwyn, A.R.A., and Mr. Adrian Stokes, A.R.A. He was elected A.R.A. in 1903. Already he has commenced working on the detail of the picture, and their Majesties have both been exceedingly gracious in offering to give him as,many sittings as they.can arrange, as he is anxious to ensure as perfect portraits as possible of his Royal sitters. ■'■ '