IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 30 January 1919, Page 31

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL. At Strokestown a charge against the Misses Sharkey for exposing alleged seditious literature for sale and "causing discontent in the . minds of the people" was dismissed without prejudice at the Petty Sessions, Mr. Nixon, D. 1., withdrawing the case. Count Plunkett, writing from Birmingham Prison regarding his selection as candidate for North Roscommon, says he is proud to represent the pioneer constituency, and he desired no greater honor. He was not at liberty to say more at present. At the meeting of the Bibliographical Society of Ireland, in the Public Library, Great Brunswick Street, a paper by Mr. P. J. McCall on "Irish Street Ballads'-' was read by Mr. John Condon, librarian, Royal College of Science. The remarkable feature of these ballads, said the writer, was the almost infinite variety of the subjects with which they dealt. Examples, of these were read at this meeting in Dublin. ..:•:. At the Longford October cattle fair, which is ..one of the principal of the year, there was an enormous supply of stock in all departments exhibited for sale, but owing to the present restrictions on export there was practically no buying for anything worthy of the name. Owing to the previous dull fairs in neighboring towns the supply was even greater than in former years, and accordingly the result of" the depression is a big blow to the agricultural industry. The pig fair was slightly better than recent fairs in other towns. People were not to be turned out of their homes to make room for racehorses, the Right Hon. the Recorder said he hoped, when dismissing with costs an application by the Baldoyle Race Company for possession of a house occupied by Margaret and Patrick Thunder. It was a proceeding he would never sanction. The plaintiffs' case was that they required the cottage to demolish it and build stables on the site. They purchased it from Mr. Gaisford St. Lawrence, and were paying £2O a year and taxes for it, but were receiving only £5. Margaret Thunder said the family had been in the house for 60 years, and they could not find another if ejected. The Recorder said if the Increase of Rent Act was to have any force at all this was a case in which it should be operative. Father Bolger, of the diocese of Ivildare and Leighlin, who has been at the Front as chaplain to the Forces through the whole campaign in France and Belgium, and has been twice wounded, has been decorated by the French Government for his untiring energy ; and devotion to duty in times of stress and danger.

INFLUENZA IN IRELAND. A press report from Dublin, under date October 25, says: —The extent of the influenza epidemic, and the rapidity with which it claims its victims where pneumonia supervenes, exhibit particular virulence. . Dr. O'Brien, Merrion Square, states that it has no parallel in medical history since the leprosy of the middle ages. His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin has ■ ordered prayers in the churches of the diocese for deliverance from the dangers that threaten us. The Dublin, medical practitioners are overstrained endeavoring to attend to the numerous sufferers. The calls on them are unprecedented. Some of them are almost exhausted from excessive exertion and lack of rest. The Dublin ' Corporation called on the Government in such an emergency to release from internment in English gaols

Dr. Hayes, Dr. Cusack, and Dr. McNabb, and also to allow Dr. Kathleen Lynn to give her services to the public afflicted with this malady. One of the latest victims was Father Murray, chaplain to the Mater Hospital, who, while ministering to the influenza patients, was himself stricken and succumbed to pneumonia.

CREATING CRIMES. In Ireland, it appears, it is a crime to give one's name in Irish instead of in English to an inquiring policeman (says an exchange). We read in the Freeman's Journal lately that in the Southern Police Court, Dublin, a girl named Maisie O'Loughlin was charged with having sold flags without a permit, and also with having refused to give her name to the police in English. She had given it in Irish, and considered that that was sufficient. Mr. J. K. Woods who defended her, contended that the police in arresting her committed an illegal act, which justified her in resisting arrest, as she was alleged to have done. The name in Irish was that by which she was called and wished to be known. At Mountjoy Prison, when she objected to be searched, she was knocked down and dragged about by her hair. Mr. Swifte, the magistrate; said that as the defendant had been in custody for a week he would only fine her 10s on each charge. In each of two other similar cases he imposed a fine of 20s. Why should the giving of a name in Irish .be treated as an offence ? In these cases there was no attempt at deception, and the statements could easily have been verified. Would women be arrested and prosecuted in Wales for giving their names in Welsh instead of in English, or in Canada for speaking only French? It would seem as if the motive of the needless vexation in Ireland is to show that the law as administered is antiIrish.

GAELIC LEAGUE NOTES. A meeting of the' Sligo Co. Committee, Gaelic League, was held recently in the Town Hall, Sligo. Rev. Professor O'Flaherty, D.D., presided. Arrangements were made for the teaching of classes throughout the country for the winter session. West Waterford is almost entirely Irish-speaking. Parties charged there under the Lighting-Up Act who gave their names in the only language in which they were proficient were heavily fined. Those who gave them in the necessarily ridiculous versions got off scotfree, or practically so. At the opening of the Gaelic League Session in Killarney lately Most Rev. Dr. O'Sullivan wrote stating that he had always regarded the Gaelic Revival as a movement fruitful with many rich blessings for their people. There was one feature of the movement which should have a very special interest for them just now, a feature which was fully appreciated by the enemies of' their name and race—it was that in the fight for the maintenance of national individuality the Irish language was their strongest and foremost rampart. It was, and would be, a determining factor in the solution of the question of Ireland a nation. Mairghread Ni Fhaodagain and Caitlin Nic an Bhreithimh, arrested at Rathmines for selling' Gaelic League flags without permit, and declining to give their names in English, are at present in Mount joy Gaol, having been remanded in custody at the Police Court. Again at the prison they persisted in giving their names in Irish. The brother, of one of them visited Mount joy, asking permission to see them, giving his name and those of the prisoners in Irish. He was officially informed that unless the English language was used in identifying the ladies no person could be admitted.

PLEA FOR THE EMERALD ISLE. In an editorial, the Denver (U.S.A.) Catholic Register of November 14 says Now that actual fighting has stopped in the war, and the Peace .Conference

is about to begin, it cannot be termed treason by anybody (except an Orangeman) to plead the cause* of Ireland. Through our President we have asked again and again for the self-determination of foreign-ruled nationalities. Ireland has never willingly submitted to English rule. Her people are of an entirely different branch of the white race. They are of a different religion. They are intellectual, and have been civilised many centuries. Before passing under British domination their monks civilised practically the entire northern part of Europe. By justice, by race, by desire, by history they have as great a right to rule themselves as the Poles, Czecho-Slovaks, Belgians, the Jugo-Slavs, the XJkranians, or any other race of Europe. They have done far more for civilisation than any of these other small races. They ought to be permitted to vote on their own destiny. If they want Home Rule and wish to remain in the British Empire let them do it. If they wish complete independence that is their right. They are not satisfied with their present condition. The Irish in the United States have done more than any other single race to win this war. One third of our army is Catholic, and a large proportion of that is of Irish blood. Never in all American history has this nation asked in vain for help from the Irish.