HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, 25 June 1914, Page 27

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, CHRISTCHURCH

(From our own correspondent.)

On Monday evening, June 8, the members of St. Patrick's branch H.A.C.B. Society, celebrated the passing of the Home Rule Bill through the House of Commons by a social gathering in the Hibernian Hall. The hall was appropriately decorated for the occasion, Ireland's national colors festooned the building, whilst the well-known Gaelic welcome, expressive of hospitality, emblazoned in deep letters, met the gaze of the assembly, and hung around the walls in prominent positions were pictures of O'Connell, Emmet, and other national leaders of the past. The refreshment portion of the social was in the capable hands of an energetic sub-committee. The very large attendance was presided over by Bro. 11. A. Sloan, B.P. Among the assemblage were the Rev. Fathers Long (chaplain), Murphy, 8.A., and Cronin. The Very Rev. Chancellor Price, Adm., apologised for his inability to bo present. After the primary toast of tho ' Pope and King ' had been honored, the president proposed the toast of the ' Clergy,' incidentally referring to the great assist-

anco rendered by the clergy to the cause of Home Rule for Ireland. The Rev. Father Long responded, and, on behalf of the clergy, thanked members for the enthusiastic manner in which the toast had been honored. The clergy, he added, were doing what they considered to be a duty in assisting the laymen to* obtain redress of the wrongs that afflicted Ireland. The Rev. Father Murphy said the struggle had been for faith and fatherland. The Irish Catholics were not only leaders of religion, but also of the arts and sciences. The Government University of Dublin was supported by Catholics. The Home Ride Bill gave the Irish Government very limited power, but that little was a stepping stone to greater things. The time is near at hand when ‘ Ireland, a nation once more,’ would be a truism, and the patriotic song of that title sung with the consciousness of hopes 'long deferred now realised.

Bro. F. J. Doolan, P.P., proposed the toast ‘lreland a nation once again.’ Home Rule,, he said, had been the battle cry sounded by Grattan, O’Connell, Emmet, Meagher, Parnell, and many others down to Redmond and Devlin of the present time, and their energy, patience, and perseverance was about to receive the d-fought-for reward. Ireland's population, denied common rights, emigrated to tho utmost ends of the earth—banished, not for their country’s good. Adopting other countries, many of those exiled Irishmen, by their native ability, have risen to the highest positions in the bestowal of their fellow-men. Whilst Gladstone desired, and attempted to give Ireland selfgovernment, his efforts were vetoed by the House of Lords. Profiting by this experience, Mr. Asquith, by means of the Parliament Act, removed this power from the Upper House, and was thus able to secure tho desires of democracy and obtain a measure of simple justice. The peroration of Robert Emmet’s speech from the dock was recited by Bro. Doolan in conclusion. The toast was enthusiastically honored, the assembly singing 1 Ireland a nation once again.’ Bro. R. O’Brien, P.P., proposed the toast of tho ‘ British Liberal Party,’ eulogising Mr. Asquith and Mr. Lloyd-George for their great services to democracy.

The concluding toast, proposed by Bro. Getson, P.P., was in honor of the Marist Brothers, the capable teachers of our boys. Reference was made to the achievements of tho pupils under their charge where patriotism found a conspicuous place alongside education and sport, the hope being also expressed that the teaching conditions would very soon be materially improved.

During the evening musical and other entertaining items were contributed by the Rev. Father Murphy, 8.A., Mr. C. Fottrell, Bros. F. J. McDonald, Sweeney, and M. Grimes, the whole concluding by the singing of 1 God save Ireland ’ by the entire company.