Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 19 October 1916, Page 39

Irish News

GENERAL. The deatli of Mrs. O'Donovan Rossa is announced from New York. She was seventy years of age. Mr. Shane Leslie, the new editor of the Dublin lieview, is a convert. He entered the Church whilst working amongst Irish poor. He was educated at Eton, the University of Paris, and King's College, Cambridge. Mr. Leslie has taken a keen interest in the Celtic revival, and as a Nationalist contested Derry twice. Intense gratification is felt at the recent elevation to the magistracy of Mr. Edmund Mansfield, ex-presi-dent of the Irish National Teachers' Association. It is fresh in the jmb'ic mind how this dauntless champion of his fellow-teachers attacked the system of school inspection and was dismissed for his temerity. Later, he was reinstated by the result of the findings of the Viceregal Commission of Inquiry into the system of Irish Primary Education, and a substantial testimonial was given him by the United Irish Teachers. By the death of the Very Rev. Canon McMahon, Kilmihill, County Clare, at the patriarchal age of 92, the Church militant loses a saintly priest and the district one who has witnessed scenes in the struggle for Irish nationality which have already passed into the realm of history. The last solemn rites were celebrated recently, when the Most Rev. Dr. Fogarty presided, and priests from all parts of the diocese, with a great gathering of the laity, were present. Lieutenant Timothy John Aloysius O'Brien, R.F.A., killed by a shell on August 7, was the eldest son of Sir Timothy and Lady O'Brien, of Grangewilliam, Maynooth, and was twenty-four years old. He was educated at St. Anthony's, Eastbourne, and at Beaumont College: and went to the front, with the original Expeditionary Force. lie took part in the battles of Mons, the Aisne, Ypres, and in numerous engagements since, escaping without injury till August 7, when he was killed by shell fire. Like his father, the late officer was an accomplished horseman, cricketer, and all-round sportsman. His brother, Robert Rollo Gillespie O'Brien, aged fifteen, the only other son in a family of ten children, now becomes heir to the baronetcy. His mother is a sister of Sir Humphrey do Trafford. FAITH IN THE IRISH PARTY. ' In this time of crisis we reaffirm our faith in the patriotism and ability of our leaders and party ' : so declared the staunch Nationalists of Arney and the surrounding districts of Fermanagh at the fine meeting presided over by the Very Rev. Canon McMahon, P.P., one of those glorious veterans of the National Movement whose hearts are ever sound and whose judgments are ever clear (says the Irish Weekly*). ' We pledge -our loyal support to Mr. Redmond and the members of the Irish Party who, despite the attacks, of bogus Nationalists at home and the common enemy at Westminister, have honorably carried out their portion of the 'contract, and have shown by their political sagacity and faithful tenacity to Home Rule that in this crisis, as always, the interests of the nation can best be served at their hands ' : so declared the governing body of the A.O.H. in Cork, speaking for over fifty Munster divisions of the Order. Thus North and South fraternise in enthusiastic approval of the Irish Party's policy. The mists of misrepresentation are being rapidly dispelled. The people are realising- that, in the terms of Mr.. John Dillon's reply to the secretary of the Cork Hibernians, the Nationalist Party is now, more than ever ' the only force that stands in Ireland for a Constitutional Movement' ; and the people of the country share to the full in Mr. Dillon's conviction that ' the National cause can» be safeguarded and Home Rule for a United Ireland triumphantly i secured if. the National ranks are kept unbroken. 'Notwithstanding confusion and misunderstanding in

regard to the National question, he was glad to say'that the Omagh branch of the United Irish League was in a highly satisfactory position.' So reported Mr. Patrick McLoughlin, D.C., the hon. secretary of the Omagh branch, at the annual meeting held a short time ago; and it is both satisfactory and encouraging to learn that the old organisation still ' holds the field ' in the capital of Tyrone, a town which has been the fruitful source of ' machined ' resolutions and wild ' alarums and excursions ' designed to destroy the nation's strength and divide the Irish people. The members of the Omagh United Irish League formally and firmly renewed their confidence in the Irish National Parliamentary Party under the leadership of Mr. Redmond, and congratulated the Irish Leader and his colleagues, Messrs. Dillon and Devlin, 'on their splendid effort for an honorable temporary settlement of the Home Rule question.' What was said in Omagh by the staunch Nationalists of the ancient town at the annual meeting is felt amongst Nationalists all over Ireland. We congratulate the United Irish Leaguers of Tyrone's most populous centre on the success with which they have maintained their branch of the National Organisation, and we look to them for active, practical, and effective work on Ireland's behalf during the trying and critical days before the friends of the country's imperishable cause. THE NEW BISHOP OF PORT LOUIS. The successor to the Archbishop of Cardiff in the See of Port Louis, Mauritius, the Right Rev. John T., Murphy, C.S.Sp., was consecrated in the Pro-Cathe-dral, Dublin, on Sunday (says the London Tablet of August 19). This diocese has had a somewhat eventful history, owing partly to political changes and partly to movements in the population, and the English Benedictines and the Fathers of the Holy Ghost have many associations with it. The diocese, as we know it to-day, was established in 1847. In the 18th century the island formed part of a prefecture apostolic, which included Madagascar, Reunion, etc., and was under the care of the French Vincentian Fathers. In 1740 it was made dependent on the archbishopric of Paris. The island was captured by the English in 1810 and ceded to them by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. This necessitated a change in the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the island, and in 1819 the vicariate to which it belonged was made part of the care of Bishop Slater, of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1829 Madagascar was severed from the vicariate. Bishop Morris was later sent thither as Apostolic Visitor, and, being recalled in 1840 his place was taken in 1841 by Mgr. Collier, 0.5.8., who was named vicar-apostolic. He travelled through England, Ireland, and France in search of priests and took four out with him. Among these was Father Laval, of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which, in 1846, was united with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The colored population of the island, which numbered about 60,000 and contained many recently liberated slaves, was confided to the care of Father Laval a«d his congregation. There were then only five chapels in the island ten years later there were fifty. Since t>i« establishment of the diocese of Port Louis the following bishops have held the see:—Bishop Hankinson, Bishop Scarisbrick, Bishop O'Neill, and Bishop Bilsborrow. The Congregation of the Holy Ghost, of which the new bishop is a member, was founded for the supply of missionaries to the most destitute peoples, and has long been identified with Africa. At the ceremony on Sunday, the consecrating prelate was the Most Rev. Dr. Harty, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, and the assisting consecrating prelates were the Most Rev. Dr. Mangan, Bishop of Kerry, and the Most Rev. Dr. Foley, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. The Bishop of Down and ,Connor and the Bishop of Dromore were also present. The Very Rev. M. Downey, C.S.Sp. (President Blackrock College), and the Rev. Dr. Moloney acted as chaplains to the newly consecrated Bishop. Thd\Rev. M. S. McMahon, A. (Clonliffe College), and the Rev'. L. Brophy, S.T.L., Carlo w College, were masters of ceremonies The music was rendered •' by the '■ Pro-Cathe-dral choir. ■■-■■ --..'- \ ..'-IV-^r^^-^'M