People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 2 July 1914, Page 41

People We Hear About

Na-ii mil University degrees were conferred the other day u. students of the University College, Dublin. Amongst those who received .degrees was Mr. Michael Martin Davitt, son of the great Irish patriot. He received the degree of B.Sc., with first class honors. At a recent meeting of the London Conferences of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, one of the speakers was Bro. L. Reichel, of Wellington, who gave an interesting account of the work of the society in New Zealand. It not only helped the poor (he said), but also assisted in the administration of the schools. The brothers in New Zealand also conducted an extensive emigration scheme. Catholic boys who were sent from this country, on arrival were placed in good situations and their interests were safeguarded. Colonel Maurice George Moore, who commands the Irish National Volunteers, was born in 1854, being the eldest son of the late George Henry Moore, of Moore Hall, Ballyglass, Mayo. lie was educated at Oscott, and joined the Connaught Rangers in 1875. He served in the Kaffir and Zulu wars (1877-9), and in the last South African campaign, during which he commanded the hirst Battalion of the Connaught Rangers. Ho retired in 1906. He is an enthusiastic sportsman, and a keen supporter of the Gaelic Revival. There is art interesting article on Mr. John Redmond by his nephew, Mr. L. G. Redmoiid-Howard, in the lent issue ot a well-known American magazine, from which we learn that Mr .Redmond is not of Irish Inn of Norman descent. That, perhaps, is not very prising, for all Irishmen, as Mr. Bernard Shaw once sard, really are Englishmen ; indeed, the more English they are the more likely they are to bo Irish. Both Parnell and Synge were descended from Cheshire families. Mr. Redmond is ‘ lineally descended from Raymund TitzWilliam, one of the ablest lieutenants of Strongbow, who was first called over to Ireland by Dermot u trough, King of Leinster, in order to help the latter to regain his crown.’ The family to which Mr. Redmond belongs ‘ settled upon estates iii Wexford anted nr the first instance by Henry IT,’ and very speedily went tire way of all settled families; it became more Irish than the Irish,’ and in due time the estates were confiscated and became the property of the Marquis of Ely, who still possesses them. Mr. Redmondward adds that his uncle was at one time a. distinguished amateur actor, ‘ playing the parts of Macbeth and Hamlet and most of the leading roles in the Shakespearean tragedies.’

In the course of an address in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane, on a recent Sunday, his Grace Archbishop Duhig touchingly referred to incidents which had occurred in the life of the venerable Archbishop Dunne. Before leaving for the Cathedral that morning, he had been conversing with Archbishop Dunne, who, although unable to be present, still watched with a keen mind and clear vision the work of the archdiocese. Archbishop Dunne, said his Grace, recalled the days over fifty years ago, when he was a professor in the city of Dublin. Even then Archbishop Dunne was amongst the foremost scholars in the Irish capital. He had under him as students two youths who afterwards gained distinction, the one in the naval and the other in the military branch of the Empire’s service. In March, 1889, the English, German, and American warships were riding at anchor in the harbor of Apia, Samoa, when a terrific hurricane arose, and the vessels were threatened with certain destruction. Captain (afterwards Admiral) Kane lost no time in making up his mind what course he would take. Standing on the bridge of H.M.S. Calliope, he ordered, ‘ Full steam ahead for the open sea’ Out went the English warship in the teeth of the fierce gale, amidst the cheers of the German and American sailors, whose ships were blown to destruction in the harbor. Thus was the prestige of British courage and seamanship saved by one of the, old pupils of the Archbishop. The other pupil was the late General Sir William Butler, a brave soldier, who was as renowned for his piety as for his valor.