Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 19 August 1915, Page 39

Irish News

GENERAL. The chairman of the Kildare County Council, Mr. M. J. Minch, J.P., has three sons with the colors, one of them at Aldershot and the other two with the Connaught Rangers. Tipperary town, which has already got a lady bank clerk, has now a lady postman. Miss Josie Slattery. She has been appointed for the Grantstown, Donarkeigh, and Pallinardy districts. A number of Civil List pensions were granted in June. One of the largest (£100) is granted to Mr. George Coffey, ‘ in recognition of the value of his researches and writing on Irish archaeology. Second-Lieutenant M. F. J. R. Mahoney, Irish Fusiliers, reported wounded, is the son of Mr. Martin F. Mahoney, Lota Bay, Cork. He was educated at Downside and Sandhurst, whence he passed into the Irish Fusiliers last December. Major C. J. Hickie, Royal Fusiliers, reported wounded at the Dardanelles, is the third son of Colonel J, F. Hickie, Slevoyre, County Tipperary. Educated at Oscott and Beaumont, he served in the South African war and was wounded at Ladysmith. He became Captain in 1902 and Major in 1912, and Brigade-Major in the East Lancs. Infantry Brigade. He married in 1903 Edith, daughter of the late Capt. M. 11. Thunder, Coolnagloose, County Wexford. Mr. J. J. Kavanagh, eldest son of Mr. T. J. Kavanagh, solicitor, Cork, who was gazetted as sublieutenant in the 3rd Connaught Rangers in August, 1914, and wont to the front on 4th March, was appointed lieutenant about two months ago, and has now been promoted captain for distinguished conduct and bravery on the field. Captain Kavanagh, who is only 21 years of age, was through the battle of Neuve Chapelle, and took part in two other engagements. On June 18 the three Irish wolfhounds presented to Mr. John E. Redmond, M.P., by Mr. Thomas Ryan, Brixton, for the Irish Division, arrived in Kingstown by the Royal Mail steamer Leinster, They were in charge of Mr. David Williams, and are considered splendid specimens of their breed. One of the animals stands 37in high, and the others 314. They were received by two of the Inniskilling Fusiliers and conveyed to Fermoy, Tipperary, and Buttevant, where the Irish Brigades are in training. NORTH TIPPERARY ELECTION. The election in North Tipperary, occasioned by the death of Dr. Esmonde, M.P., took place on June 17. Out of an electorate of over 6000, about 4000 voted. Three candidates went to the poll, all of them

Nationalists. The following were the figures —John L. Esmonde, 1693; Patrick Hoctor, 1293; Robert P. Gill, 1192. The successful candidate, Mr. Esmonde, is the son of the previous member. Mr. Hoctor, one of the defeated candidates, complained that hired cars had been used in the interests of the successful candidate, and threatened a petition against Mr. Esmonde’s return. The Irish Party took no action in the contest. No Convention was held. At the previous election the late Dr. Esmonde was returned unopposed, as was also the Nationalist candidate in 1906 and 1910. SERGEANT O’LEARY, V.C. Sergeant Michael O’Leary, Y.C., left the trenches ‘ somewhere in France’—or perhaps Belgium—in the early afternoon of Monday, June 21. He got seven days’ leave from duty—he had been right at the front since the first day of the struggle he turned straight for Inchigeela, via London and Cork. The clay of the Low Countries as still clinging to his military apparel, when he appeared at Wellington Barracks, London, on Tuesday; and the war-begrimed hero of the most remarkable of all personal military exploits was not recognised by the members of his regiment at home until someone ‘spotted’ the ribbon of the V.C. on his breast. Then the news spread ; it reached Buckingham Palace,' where the King and Queen were. Without delay, the King sent instructions to the Colonel of the Irish Guards at the Barracks that O’Leary wars wanted at the Palace; and Colonel Proby easily persuaded the Sergeant to accompany him. The King, the Queen, and the Princess Mary were in the Palace garden; soon the King’s mother and his sister appeared on the scene. Under these circumstances the Victoria Cross as formally pinned ’ to the soldier’s dust-covered tunic by the Sovereign ; and the wearer thereof returned to Wellington Barracks, whence he left by the night mail train for Cork, via Holyhead and Dublin. He thought of presenting himself unannounced at the home of his parents by the far-away Lake of Inchigeela; ‘but;’ he said to friends at the station that night, ‘ I suppose it’s no use hoping to surprise the old folks now, as am account of what happened to-day will surely be in the morning’s Cork E ml tin', which will get to Macroom hours before I can arrive.’ O’Leary is a stalwart, modest young fellow, boyish in appearance, though he boasts 25 years and is a- veteran sailor and soldier, and remarkably like * the familiar photograph which has served so effectively as a recruiting poster.