Our Sports Summary

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 20, 24 May 1923, Page 33

Our Sports Summary

$ DUNEDIN. The St. Patrick's Harriers, held their run on Saturday from the St. Patrick's School. The attendance was very satisfactory, 21 members having participated in the run. In order to give those members who contemplate running in the Port Chalmers Road Race more experience and training, an all-road route was chosen. The pack, under the whistle of Captain Mcllroy, led along Macandrew road, round Anderson's Bay road to Tahnna, thence along the Tomahawk road to the Soldiers' Memorial on the High road, returning via the Highcliff road to Queen's drive, where a brisk run home ensued, which resulted in Davies and Bradley gaining first and second places. The members were then entertained to tea by members of the Children of Mary Sodality, after which a very enjoyable evening was held, and Mr. Mcllroy, on behalf of the club, thanked the ladies for their hospitality. The following members are requested to go into training for the Edmond Cup: Messrs. Cameron, "White, Mcllroy, McAllan, Davies, McElneany, H. McDonnell, Allan Menhinick, Median, Bradley, Lovelock, and L. Clutterbuck.

CHRISTCHURCH. (From our own correspondent.) Saturday week's football • chronicles record the victory of Merivale over Marists by the solid margin of 24 points to 6. The defeat was much to the liking of the public palate. Merivale deserved the win and received the congratulations of the losing team. The juniors were successful against Albion, by 21 points to nil. Third grade defeated Christchurch by 38 to nil. Fourth grade lost to Old Boys by 11 to 3. Fifth grade ran up 61 points against Albion who failed to score, and 6th grade beat Technical College by 0 to 6.

AAAAAAAAA ASHBURTOX. (From our own correspondent.) The Celtic senior football team met on the Showgrounds on Saturday week to play the Old Boys fifteen, and defeated them by 27 points to nil. The match was witnessed by a large crowd, and keen interest was evinced. Celtic held the upper hand throughout, despite the fact that the Old Boys team contained a last season's chosen All-Black player, who by the way is a "Celt" by religion, but apparently not in sport. The juniors met and inflicted a good defeat on the Tinwald juniors, winning by 16 points to 3. Considering that this is the first match in which this grade has so far played, and being asked to meet a club, which had many last year's seniors (re-graded) playing for it, the win was all the more meritorious. More will be heard of this team's performances in the near future.

BOY CHESS PRODIGY. Paris lias discovered a new chess prodigy in the person of Aristide Grommer, a French boy of 13, who has played twenty adult experts simultaneously and only lost one game. Four other games were drawn, but fifteen experienced players were compelled to admit that in chess this child was their master. There is nothing of the prodigy about Grommer's manners or appearance. He is "a modest and unspoiled boy," and when at the close of the tourney -he was congratulated on his victories, he remarked rather shyly that he knew several boys who were much more clever than himself. Grommer's adversaries included an English lady, who is a formidable chess opponent, a diplomat, and a grey-haired colonel, but all their skill and experience were insufficient to make the little boy in the sailor suit even hesitate before replying to their moves. Pausing before each board in turn, he seemed to take in the position at a glance, and moved with such promptness and decision that his average time for the tour of twenty moves was only one and a-half minutes. Unflurried and certain of himself, he never hesitated more than, twenty seconds for a reply to an opponent's move. Play lasted for three hours and a-half, and at the end Grommer's only successful opponent

admitted that he had had a very narrow escape. Grommer has played chess since early childhood, and perhaps owes some of his skill to heredity, for he is a nephew of the author of Ihe Grammar of Chess, a classic among chess works. Although he does not pretend to equal the nine-year-old boy Samuel Rzeschewski, who is a worthy opponent for any of the modern masters, Grommer is hailed as a brilliant discovery.

The Strasburfif Clock The wonderful working model of the Strasburg clock which is still on exhibition at the King's Theatre, Dowling Street, continues to attract large crowds of sight-seers. The great Cathedral of Strasburg, which is famous for its beauty of architecture, its ancient, origin, and its wonderful clock, has been subjected to many trials. In the year 1.368 the church was struck by lightning, which did great damage. In 1384 a fire broke out in the cathedral, destroying much of the interior and completely destroying the great organ. In 1650 the cathedral was shaken almost to the ground by earthquake, while in 1793, 234 statues of kings and saints were destroyed. Still, through all these happenings the wonderful clock has remained intact. The handsome working model has been exhibited in every part of the civilised world.

<m«> _ Allen Doone Allen Doone, the Irish-American comedian, ranks among the most popular actors known to New Zealand. This is his fifth tour, and judging by his success in the chief centres of the South Island, bids fair to eclipse all others. The debonnaire actor "with a touch o' the blarney" has toured the world since he was in the Dominion 'before, and one of his singular achievements was a record two years' season in South Africa, He went there to play for twelve weeks and they kept him for 105 weeks. One of his greatest successes during that long engagement was '•Lucky O'Shea," Theo. Burt Sayre's charming comedy, which had to be revived again and again to meet the popular demands. Mr. Doone is also reviving in New Zealand such delightful plays as "Molly Bawn," "My Old Donegal," etc., for the presentation of which he has engaged a special company with Miss Edna Keeley as the leading lady. Miss Adele Inman, who plays the ingenue parts with the Allen Doone Company/comes of good theatrical stock. Miss Inman, the daughter of Robert Inman (a native of Dunedin)- who was leading man with Bland Holt, Holloway and Anderson companies for many years, and a grandaughter of Robert Inman, sen., who was lessee of the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, and. was concerned in the visit of the first English cricket team to visit Australia. Old theatre-goers will remember her mother, Miss Maud Appleton, a talented actress who visited X.Z. in the 'nineties. Miss Inman, besides being a bright and purposeful actress, is a soprano singer of no mean capacity. The Allen Doone Company Mill open at Masterton on June. 1, Feilding on the 4th, Marton on the sth, and at Wanganui on the 6th. Stratford, Hawera, Taihape, Hamilton, Cambridge, and Auckland will then be visited'in the order named.

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin -To say that<6t. Patrick's' Day was celebrated in Dublin with great devotion is to utter n truism (says Catholic News Service., London). For all that the only adequate expression to use is that the festival was celebrated with great devotion—which is to say that there was a subtle feeling in the capital which defies exact definition. The opening of the Irish Language "Week coincided with the feast day. and in both the Catholic and Protestant churches the use of the Irish language was very marked. Pontifical Mass was celebrated in the Pro-Cathedral, and the churches of all the denominations were thronged with large congregations.

The day was a national holiday in the fullest sense. All business was suspended, practically all the banks and business houses closed their doors, and the Post Office held up all deliveries of mail. In both Dublin and Cork the ceremony of the Trooping of the Colors was carried out with great military exactness and precision.