Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 30 December 1915, Page 41

Irish News

GENERAL. Sergeant Michael "O’Leary, •V. C., has been granted a commission as lieutenant in the Ist Battalion of the Connaught Rangers. .. The Right Rev. Dr. Macßory was consecrated Bishop of Down and Connor on Sunday, November 14, in St. Patrick’s Church, Belfast, by his Eminence Cardinal Logue, assisted by the Bishops of Raphoe and Ardagh. The Lord Mayor of Cork presided at a meeting, at which it was decided to present a testimonial to Sergeant Cosgrove, of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, a native of the county, who has won the Victoria Cross. Sergeant Cosgrove, after the landing at the Dardanelles, whilst his companions were falling around him, pulled up wire entanglements with his hands and enabled the troops to get through. The Freeman's Journal publishes a letter from Mr. J. J. D.ore, of Washington, addressed to Mr. John Redmond and declaring that the Irish in America are solid for the Allies in the present war. There are a few cranks and a few ‘ die-hards,’ but, according to Mr. Dore, that sums up the pro-Germanism of the Irish in America. German money has been very freely spent in the attempt to foster pro-German feeling among the Irish in America.

As a result of the discussion at the women’s meeting of the Catholic Truth Society of Ireland, a committee of Catholic ladies is being formed to consider the suggestions then offered, with a view to giving them, practical effect, and to study .the best means of remedying the social evils then erred to. They will also be invited to consider the advisability of establishing a Catholic Women’s League’ for Ireland on the lines of the International ‘Catholic Women’s League.’ Mrs. Mary McGrane, Navan, who has her four sons serving in the army, has received the following letter from the Keeper of the Privy Purse:— ‘ Madam, —I have the honor to inform.you that the King has heard with much interest that you have at the present moment four sons serving in the Army. I am commanded to express to you the King’s congratulations, and to assure you that his Majesty much appreciates this example in one family of loyalty and devotion to their Sovereign and Empire.’

At the Cork Quarter Sessions there was an application from Mr. Crawford, secretary of the G.S. and W. R., for a transfer of the license held by .Mr. F. J. H. Koenigs, for the G.S. and W. Railway premises at Queenstown. On behalf of the company, Mr. Blake, solicitor, asked for an adjournment till next Sessions. He added that there was a general impression that the holder of the license was an alien enemy, but he was a naturalised British subject for the past eleven years. His brother, who was not naturalised, and who lived at Killarney, was interned. District-Inspector Armstrong opposed the application, as the applicant was not in possession of the premises.

Addressing the men’s confraternity, Enniscorthy, at a recent meeting, the Rev. J. Rossiter, spiritual director, appealed to the men of the town when attending the devotion of the Forty Hours’ Adoration to pray for their fellow-townsmen who were . serving at the front. The priests of the parish had secured reliable information that there were 500 men from the town now serving with the colors, and 95 per cent, of these were Catholics. Over 400 people attended at the Post Office orf Mondays to draw separation allowances, and some of these represented families,, that had given two op more members to the , Army. In some cases fathers and sons were fighting in, the same regiment. v

|f The entrance scholarships examination, held early in October by the Queen’s University, Belfast, was for^the possession of twelve entrance scholarships, value

•£4O each, to be awarded to students entering theUni-; versity, f or ; the first time. Of these--twelve scholarships, Mr. James Duff, of St. Malachy’s College, Belfast, won the first, securing highest marks amongst, competitors, who represented one may say, the best talent of the best schools; sending candidates to the University, From St. Malachy's, too, came Mr. Edward Bellew and Mr. John Campbell, the winners of the fourth and fifth places, these two-students. securing equal marks. Mr. Kirkwood got ninth place, with {the result that the college has secured four out ; of the twelve scholarships offered. -

The death is announced of Dr.’James. Byrne Coleman, C.M.G., of Merrion square, Dublin, who was a leading practitioner in . Dublin. . He was •a - native of Bansha, Co. Tipperary, and was educated at Tullabeg and Clongowes, and afterwards studied medicine at the Dublin College of Surgeons, taking bis, degree in 1889. He became a Fellow of the Royal ( College of Physicians in 1899. r He also studied fop some .time at Vienna. He won a high reputation as a nerve specialist • and as a hospital teacher. He • Contributed" largely to the medical press. IJe. served. through the* Boer War as physician-in-charge' of Lord Iveagh’s Hospital, and was. awarded the C.M.G. and a medat, with three clasps, Recently he; was offered the charge of the medical side of a hospital at the front, which he accepted, but failing health obliged him to withdraw.

A FALSE REPORT. ' * Mr, John E. Redmond, , M.P., writing to a correspondent, who sent him a ’ paragraph. which, had appeared in one of the newspapers alleging that large numbers of young Irishmen . are emigrating,.from Ireland in order to avoid conscription* says i;' I think my best course is to send you the most- recent official figures with regard to emigration from; Ireland. In the year 1913, 30,967 •'persons emigrated. from Ireland ; in 1914, 20,314 persons emigrated from Ireland; and in 1915, up to the end of September, 11,4.46 persons emigrated from Ireland.' In the months of July, August, and September, 1914, the total emigration from Ireland was 8319; in, the same months for this year the total emigration from Ireland was 4429. From this it appears that Irish emigration is dropping in a most remarkable degreeat least 50 per cent.— and that the decrease is going on up to the present moment. I see that a similar statement is made in some papers with regard to the alleged emigration of young men of military age from Great Britain. Though there may be some, cases of this kind, I think it will be found on investigation that it /is as little true of Great Britain as it is of Ireland.’ ,

UNITED IRISH LEAGUE AND RECRUITING. The annual report of the United Irish League of Great Britain for the year 1914-15 shows that the* revenue of the organisation was £3809, compared with £4521. The reduction of £712 is practically entirely due to the response of the members to the appeal;, of ~ the country for men to defend the threatened. liberties of Europe, for, as the report states, * no organisa-, tion can claim to have made a'more patriotic and more numerous response to that appeal.’ Up to February! last, when a very careful investigation was made" throughout the country, 115,513 Irishmen in Great Britain had joined the forces, whilst Irish recruiting had since gone on with such vigor that the total had increased to over 150,000. , The chief feature of the Irish rush to the colors was the raising of the Tyneside Irish .Brigade, 5400, strong. Other districts also , showed remarkable figures. For example, of 13,000 : enlistments in St. Helens, 3500 were Irish in Livers pool, from Mr. T v P. O’Connor’s constituency alone* 3500 men had joined, whilst the Irish Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regimenti was; one of - the first to ' volunteer for foreign service. • ” i K-