Irish Race Convention: Miss Jessie Mackay’s Departure

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 50, 28 December 1922, Page 31

Irish Race Convention: Miss Jessie Mackay’s Departure

(Contributed.) Miss Jessie Mackay, of Christchurch, who was selected

as one of the New Zealand delegates to the Race Convention at Dublin or Paris, commencing on January 21, 1922, arrived in Wellington by the ferry steamer on the morning of Sunday, 13th ult. She-was met on behalf of the executive of the Self-Determination' League by Mr. P. J. O’Regan (president) and Mrs. T. J. Bourke and Miss Eileen Duggan, and during her stay in Wellington Miss Mackay was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Duggan, of Wellington South.

J , Miss Mackay was formally presented with her credentials at the Hibernian Rooms, Willis Street, on the evening of Monday, 14th. Members of the National Executive, the Wellington Provincial' Executive, the Hutt branch, . and the ladies’ committee of the League being present. Mr. O’Regan in the course of a short speech said that though they , all felt New Zealand would be worthily represented at the convention by the three delegates selected, yet N the appointment. of Miss Mackay was peculiarly appropriate. A New Zealander by birth, of Scottish (Highland) extraction, Miss Mackay had endeared herself to the friends of Ireland in New Zealand by her splendid advocacy of Ireland’s cause in the columns of a press, that was by no means friendly. There were many ties between Scotland and Ireland, and it was a historic fact that a gallant Scotchman, Sir Ralph Abercromby, had refused to impose the brutalities of martial law upon the people of Ireland in 1798. Miss Mackay’s advocacy of the cause of self-determination for Ireland was not something of yesterday, but those who were familiar with, her writings in the press knew that for years past she had maintained the (•right of the Irish people to govern themselves according to their national traditions and sentiments, and she had evinced not only close acquaintance with the history of Ireland, but with the principles underlying the Irish demand. Accordingly, it was peculiarly appropriate that she should have been selected spontaneously, and with enthusiasm as one of New Zealand’s delegates to the pending convention. As for the deliberations of that convention they all felt that it was not for the people of this or any other country to dictate to the people of Ireland in the matter of their own government, and whether they insisted on complete independence or would accept a compromise falling short of that ideal was a matter entirely for themselves and not for us. He had much pleasure in presenting Miss, Mackay with her credentials showing that she was one. of the duly accredited representatives to attend the convention on behalf of the friends of Ireland in New Zealand. (Applause).

Miss Mackay, in the course of a brief speech, expressed her thanks for the honor conferred upon her, an honor she had never thought of when time after time she took up her pen on behalf of Ireland. She had first become interested in Ireland by . reading her ballads and later her history. Years ago she had named her “The Woman of Nations,” and so she styled her still. She felt confident, however, that a better day was dawning, that prejudices, and misunderstandings would pass away, and that Ireland would come into her own as one of the nations of the earth. They could rely that according to her ability she would do her best to prove worthy of the honor conferred upon her as one of New Zealand’s representatives at the coming Convention. (Applause.) Miss Mackay took her departure from New Zealand in the Remuera, which sailed from Wellington for England via Panama on the 15th ult. A number of friends and sympathisers attended at the wharf and bade her farewell.

MISS MACKAY’S EXPENSES.

In connection with the representation of New Zealand at the .coming Irish Race Convention, Mr. P. J. O’Regan, president of the Self-Determination for Ireland League of New Zealand, authorises us to state that at the national convention held at Wellington in October last, it was determined to raise the sum of £6OO, the estimated amount to defray Miss Jessie Mackay’s expenses, each Provincial Council contributing not less than £IOO. At the date of

Miss Mackay’s departure from New Zealand,, not more than half the required sum had come in, but six members of the Wellington executive - immediately provided £SO each in anticipation of the fund, being fully subscribed in due course, and accordingly Miss Mackay was presented with the full amount prior to her sailing on the 15th ult. The following payments are acknowledged:

Wellington Provincial-Council (out of. moneys in hand), "£100; North Canterbury Provincial Council, £100; Otago Provincial Council, £100 ; New Plymouth branch, £25; Raetihi branch, £22 17s; Blenheim branch (on account), £l6; Ohakune branch, , £10; Petone branch, £9; total, £382 17s.- ; ;

Since writing the foregoing statement, Mr. O’Regan advises us of the receipt of the Westland Council’s quota of £IOO. v

> Sacred Heart Girls’ College . /Q- , The - following pupils of the Sacred Heart Girls’ College (Sisters of the Missions), Ferry Road, Christchurch S successful in passing their examinations in Pitman’s shorthand: Pitman s speed examinations (eighty words per minute): Irene Ashton, Mercy Cook, Lena Keane- fifty words per minute: Doris Blyth, Rita Corbett Eileen Gartly, Ena Gillespie, Vera Kiely,* Kathleen' Leahvm Kathleen Mahoney, Sara McCartin, Madge O’Malley Rima Pope, Olive Price, Melba Tulloch; pitman’s theoretical ST ammation: Maureen Cuneen (first); Edith Clarke (second) Ena Jackson (third), Agnes Clarke, Margaret Fahey Madetafy K eMin V n a Kiely Grace Smith; Pitman’s. elementary examination. Dorothy Overton. At the recent standard VI. examination held at the Sacred Heart Collet the Sisters of the Missions’ ChristAu^^XjSa fndTnetmp’ete t „^° m 34 SeC “ red P-^enc/cScatss

The tongue of the slanderer is what St. James terms it, a raging fire which scorches all within its reach, turns its fury against the good; and the bad, leaving behind it rum and desolation. It feeds with delight on what is most sacred destroys what is most solid, and blackens what it cannot consume.