Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1915, Page 39

Irish News

GENERAL. % Major O’Callaghan, Royal Irish, who was killed in Flanders, was the only son of Major-General Sir Desmond O’Callaghan, K.C.V.O. Second-Lieutenant Timothy Sullivan, Ist Royal Munster Fusiliers, who was killed at the Dardanelles early in May, was the son of the late Mr. Michael Sullivan, of Baxxtry, County Cork, and was 33 years of age. Mr. Henry Doran, one of the Assistant-Commis-sioners of the Irish Congested Districts Board, has had the honor of a knighthood conferred on him. Sir Henry, who is a Kerry man, was educated at St. Brendan’s Seminary, Killarney. Lieutenant Gerald Charles Moran, aged 26, sth Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who died in hospital at Rouen on May 26, as the result of being gassed, was the only surviving son of Stanislaus and Gertrude Moran (late Calcutta), Mooteeharic, Greystoxxes, County Wicklow. The death of Mr. T. O’Neill Lane, author of The Highways and Hi/trays of Ireland, and of anEnglishIrish dictionary, and who was for many years in the French capital as the representative of prominent English journals, is’recorded after a short illness at Tournafulla, County Limerick. Mr. Swift Mac Neill, in a letter to the Freeman, states ‘ on the authority of one of the most distinguished officers in the British Army, and at present in high command,’ that 2000 members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, though ready and willing to join the army, had been prevented, from enlisting. Second-Lieutenant Hugh Patrick Shine, of the Ist Royal Irish Fusiliers, who was killed on May 25, was born at Corradine House, Malta, on August 20, 1896. He was educated at Downside, from where he passed direct to Sandhurst in June, 1914. He was the youngest son of Colonel J. Shine, A.D.M.S., 21st Division. Amongst the new knights is Mr. J. A. Glynn, 8.A., Chairman of the Irish National Insurance Commission. At the time of his appointment under Mr. Lloyd George’s Act, Mr. Glynn was a practising solicitor in Tuam and Chairman of the Galway County Council. He had been an ardent supporter of the policy of the Irish Parliamentary Party. Captain the Hon. William Andrew Nugent, 15th Hussars, died on June 5, in London, of wounds received on May 13. He was the second son of the 10th Earl of Westmeath and brother and heir presumptive of the present Earl. A Requiem Mass was offered at Palace Street Church, after which interment took place at Kensal Green. The interest in the historic mansion of Mountshannon House, at Lisnagry, midway between Limerk.. and Castleconnell, has been sold, the purchaser being Mr. O’Leary Hanningham. Mountshannon House was the residence of the first Earl of Clare, of the Irish Parliamentary days, and his portrait -was bought at the sale of the family effects some time ago, and is now in the National Gallery, Dublin. Some years ago the land belonging to the then noble demesne was purchased by the Estates Commissioners and allotments made thereof to evicted tenant claimants. The Irish Party, at a meeting held recently in the House of Commons, passed, on the motion of Mr. Dillon, a resolution emphatically protesting, against conscription, and declaring that the Irish Party is opposed to compulsory military service ‘ because it is unnecessary, and because any attempt to enforce it would break up the unity of the people of these islands.’ It is added that the voluntary system has produced magnificent results, and the Irish Party will oppose a vigorous resistance to any attempt to bring into force in the "United Kingdom a system of compulsory military service.

THE COLLEGE GREEN VICTORY. Vy ' Mr. J. D. Nugent, M.P. for College Green in succession to the late Mr, Nannetti, should prove an important accession to the Irish Party. As. general secretary of the A.0.H., Mr. Nugent is the principal official of the most widespread Irish organisation in existence. On that account he has his finger on the pulse of Irish feeling in. all parts of the United Kingdom j and is in closest touch with Irish workers in every district of the kingdom who believe in work more than talk -—ln a word, with the men who count everywhere. Mr. Nugent’s record as a Nationalist was fully attested by the messages sent by the Irish leaders in connection with his contest. Mr. Redmond expressed the. earnest trust that Mr. Nugent would he returned with a triumphant t majority, symbolising the unchanging loyalty of the constituency in its fidelity to the principle of a united, pledge-bound Irish Party. Mr. Dillon described Mr. Nugent as a friend and colleague known to him for years as one of the most active and able Nationalists in Ireland, and added that, being familiar with Mr. Nugent’s work, he would heartily welcome him to the ranks of the Party as member for College Green. Mr. Devlin said that ‘no man in Ireland better deserves the trust and confidence of an Irish constituency ’ than does Mr. Nugent. . Mr. Nugent’s majority was 629. THE LORD CHANCELLORSHIP. The present holder of the Irish Lord Chancellorship is a vigorous Irish lawyer of 58 years; Mr. J. H. Campbell is an English lawyer of 65. He has now no more connection with Ireland than Sir Edward Carson —in fact, both are on a level, because, though residing in London and attached to the English Bar, they represent Trinity College in Parliament ; and both have been repudiated by Trinity College itself with respect to the only legislative scheme connected with that institution for which they ever made themselves responsible. In view of the repeated assertions that ‘Ulster’ is directly concerned with the issue of Mr. Campbell’s case, it is interesting to remember that neither Sir Edward Carson nor the would-be Lord Chancellor is an Ulsterman in anv sense of the word. They have no property or possessions in Ulster : they have no direct connection with that Province ; they have simply used the foolish passions and prejudices of some'of its people for their own ends. Sir Edward Carson is Attorney-General for England, with a certainty of succeeding to the English Lord Chancellorship should a Tory Government return to power. Mr. J. 11. Campbell had assured himself of the Irish Lord Chancellorship and .£6OOO a year, with ‘ fixity of tenure ’ in case of a Tory victory at the next General Election, and with a handsome . ‘ consolatory prize ’ of .£4OOO a year for life no matter what Government might be in office. The pair of gentlemen have no reason to complaiix of the personal consequences to themselves resulting from their violent exploitation of ‘ Ulster.’ What the said ‘Ulster’ will think of them a little later on is another proposition altogether. RECRUITING IN ATHLONE. In the course of a recruiting meeting in Atlxlone, the announcement was made that out of the population of this busy little manufacturing centre of seven, thousand there are over a thousand Athlone men at present with the colors. In fact, every family in the town has one or more of its members, some three or four, at the front. The Hon. R. A. Handcock, D.L., who presided in the unavoidable absence of the Rev. Father Goodwin, Adm., said as honorary secretary of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, in the matter of recruiting he knew what Athlone had —Athloxxe had responded nobly to the call for recruits; Athlone men’ went to the front and made a great name for themselves, and earned their place in the roll of honor. Mr. M. J. Lennon, J.P., said the record of Atlxlone in the Avar would not be beaten by any town in the United Kingdom. Irishmen fighting with the Allies in Flanders were fighting for Ireland a Nation, and the place

for every Midland and Connaught Irishmen was in the ranks ol the Leinsters and Connaught Rangers. ' \ WHITE GLOVES FOR THE JUDGES. There being no criminal business to be disposed of at the Crown Sessions for the County Division of Derry, Judge Todd was presented with a pair of white gloves. The Judge expressed his satisfaction with the crimeless state of the county, and subsequently, there being even no appeals, he jocosely remarked that this state of things was bad for the profession.’ At the opening of the Donegal Crown Sessions, Judge Cooke, K.C., who was presented with a pair of white gloves, said Donegal was indirectly assisting the nations in the great crisis. Many brave men from the county had joined the colors. The Quarter Sessions for the Eastern Division of the County Limerick were opened by County Court Judge Law Smyth, K.C. Mr. W. M. Beauchamp, Clerk of the Crown and Peace, announced that there was no criminal business to be disposed of. Mr. B. K. Lucas, Sub-Sheriff, said he had great pleasurein presenting his Honor with a pair of white gloves. His Honor thanked Mr. Lucas, and congratulated him on the peaceful state of the county. As he had said on the previous day, it was a good thing that they were living in such peace, while this terrible war was going on. May we' continue to send in the future as many gallant men to fight for our country as we have done in the past, concluded his Honor. THE LAWLESS LAWYER If there is a staunch supporter of the Liberal Party it is the Chrlafat/i Warhl. Yet the appointment of Sir Edward Carson as Attorney-General receives from that Nonconformist organ the following severe condemnation:— The inclusion of Sir Edward Carson, especially as a Law Officer, is the one item in the new Cabinet that offends. Sir Edward Carson has stood during these last few years "for open defiance of constituted authority, and yet he is now a Law Officer of the Crown. lie has gloried in being a rebel, and he has preached rebellion. How he would act if there were Labor troubles during the war it is difficult to imagine. It may be, and probably is, that the Unionists insisted on Sir Edward's inclusion as the juice of their support, but it would have been better for the internal peace of the land not to have offended the public sentiment of the larger part of the nation in this wav, and we are sorry that the Prime Minister has succumbed.’ THE GOVERNMENT AX IRELAND. The nature of the reception given to the news that Sir Edward Carson had been appointed Attorney-Gen-eral and Mr. F. E. Smith Solicitor-General ought to have been a warning to the Government to beware of further irritating the Irish people, whose indignation both gentlemen aroused by (heir association with a rebellious agitation got up to prevent by terrorism the concession of their national rights (savs the Catholic. Timex). But it would seem as if the Government believed the Catholics and Nationalists of Ireland would endure anything and had resolved to put their patience to the test. Nevertheless, it has been proposed that the Lord Chancellor of Ireland should be compelled to retire in order to enable Mr. J. 11. Campbell, M.P., to take his place. Not only was Mr. Campbell Irish Attorney-General in the last Unionist Governmenta coercionist regime— but he has distinguished himself even more than Sir Edward Carson or Mr. F. E. Smith by the bitterness of his attacks on the great majority of the Irish peoplethe Catholics and Nationalists. Into his speeches he introduced such venom and religious prejudice that they were unique productions. The appointment will not be made, for the Government have found it would be the last straw. At any cost the Irish,would never tolerate it.