IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 24, 21 June 1923, Page 43

IRISH NEWS

GOVERNMENT AND ARMY: TORY DODGE FAILS. - An article in the Morning Post (London) alleging intrigue and disagreement between the Government and the Army was debated in the Dail. Dr. MacCartan asked, the Government for an authoritative statement regarding this article. The President said the article was an attempt to drive a wedge between the Army and the Government. No chasm existed, and there was no intention to interfere with the Commander-in-Chief, in whom he had implicit confidence. General Mulcahy spoke in terms of warm praise of the efficiency of the army. Anyone who had eyes about him, he said, could speak for the efficiency of the army. <*X*X*X*X*> RAPHOE’S NEW BISHOP: YOUNGEST IRISH PRELATE. It is announced from Rome, through Reuter’s correspondent (says an Irish exchange), that the Rev, William McNeely, D.D., Letterkenny, has been appointed Bishop of Raphoe, in succession to Most Rev. Dr. O’Donnell, Archbishop of Attalia, who has for some months past been a’cting as Coadjutor-Archbishop of Armagh. The newly chosen Bishop of the historic Northern Diocese was born in Donegal in 1888. After studying in St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, where he had a brilliant career, he went to the Irish College, Rome, in 1906, and passed through a distinguished course and secured the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was ordained in 1912 and returned to Ireland, being appointed by Most Rev. Dr. O'Donnell as Dean and Professor of St. Eunan’s. Rev. Dr. McNeely remained there until the year 1917, when, in response to the appeal for Catholic chaplains, he volunteered for service with the British forces and spent two years with the troops, being part of the time in France. On his return home in 1919 he was appointed to the curacy of Letterkenny, where he labored zealously until a few months ago, when, on the re-organisation of the National Army, he was appointed chaplain to the Donegal Command, with headquarters at Finner Camp. He was in Derry City recently; and it was in Buncrana where he had gone in connection with his duties ■ as chaplain, that the announcement of his appointment reached him. The new Bishop is a man 'of superior gifts and is a most eloquent preacher. ' Raphoe’s Great Children. A few interesting coincidences regarding the appointment of Dr. McNeely may be noted. At thirty-five he is the youngest Bishop in Ireland; he was born during the year which witnessed the consecration of his illustrious predecessor as Lord Bishop of the great and ancient diocese of St. Eunan, which has within its wide borders the birthplace of Columcille. When the Most Rev. Dr. O’Donnell was consecrated in the year of Dr. McNeely’s birth, he was —and indeed so remained for many yearsthe youngest Bishop in Ireland also. He was then thirty-two years of age; the date of his birth being 1856. Dr. O’Donnell was ordained in 1880, at the age of twenty-fourthe exact age at which his successor was called to the priesthood only eleven years ago. Dr. McNeely has been a professor in his native Diocesan College; Dr. O’Donnell passed from the Prefectship of Dunboyne to the Bishdpric of Raphoe—and he was the first student nominated in 1879 to the revived Dunboyne establishment which had been closed since 1870. DUBLIN CASTLE: ITS NEW USE AS FOUR COURTS. April 11 was the date fixed or the opening of the Four Courts in Dublin Castle after the Easter recess, but the buildings were not quite ready for judiciary and officials. Benches for the judges .and jury boxes have been erected, but painting and staining remain to be done. St. Patrick’s Hall will be the Law Library, but coats-or-arms and decorations are yet on the walls, and plastering and re-painting yet remain to be done. * In the setting of courts at Dublin Castle or vicinity, it is on . record that during the reign of William and Mary “the Four Courts for the administration of justice were re-edified at the expense of the Crown in Christchurch-

lane” (now Christchurch-place). It is of interest to state that the courts were formerly ambulatory, being sometimes held at Carlow, Drogheda, and more frequently at Dublin Castle. In 1695 they were removed to Christchurch-lane, where they were held under one roof. The Four Courts were not opened until November, 1796, the first stone having been laid 10 years previously by the Duke of Rutland. The Castle was completed in 1220 by Henry Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, although the building is supposed to have been commenced in 1205 by Meyler Fitzhenry, Lord Justice, and was intended as a “fortress citadel” to secure English interests in Ireland. It was considered a place of considerable strength, but did not become the real seat of Government in Ireland until the reign of Queen Elizabeth. There are no records of proceedings of the Four Courts of Dublin previous to the reign of Edward I. In 1821 there were on the records the names of 45 benches, 950 barristers, 2000 attorneys, 12 proctors in the Ecclesiastical Courts; 8 in the Admiralty Courts, and 50 public notaries. PAPAL ENVOY TO IRELAND. Monsignor Luzio’s credentials in support of his claim to be in a position to co-operate in the interests of peace, and about which a controversy involving the Government has been raging for a few days, were made available for publication on Saturday last .(says the London Catholic Times for April 28). The Vatican envoy’s credentials, addressed to Cardinal Logue from the Secretariat of State of the Vatican, and signed by Cardinal Gasparri, are as follows: “My Lord Cardinal, —By this letter I fulfil the duty oi presenting to your Eminence Monsignor Salvatore Luzio, Domestic Prelate of his Holiness and Regent of the Sacred Penitentiary. He goes to Ireland by charge of the Holy I ather for the object of learning viva voce from your Eminence and from the other bishops, with a view to avoiding the inevitable inconveniences of using the mails, all news and information that may be useful for the knowledge of the Holy See on the actual conditions of affairs in our nation, and to co-operate as far as he possibly can in the pacification of the minds in the interests of a muchdesired and definite settlement of the country. “I therefore beg your Eminence to kindly assist this Prelate with all your high authority and with all benevolence by facilitating his approach to and acquaintanceship with the most prominent and eminent personages, and with all persons of good will, with "whom an exchange of ideas and impressions along with the above-mentioned Prelate may be useful and advantageous to the cause of peace and tranquility in your thrice-beloved nation.” CARDINAL LOGUE ’S EXPLANATION. The following letter was addressed to the Irish Press on the 20th inst. by Cardinal Logue: “Dear Sir, I was very sorry and hardly edified to see that a controversy has been started in the newspapers regarding the mission of Monsignor Luzio to Ireland and his credentials. “This controversy was hardly what one would expect from Irish •.Catholics. It falls far short of the respect to the Holy Father and the gratitude which his well-known devotion to Ireland and his deep interest in her welfare should inspire. “In order to remove all further ground for misunderstand, I think it well to state simply the course of events as far as I am concerned. “On the 21st March Monsignor Luzio called on me and told me that he had instructions to see mo with a letter from the Cardinal Secretary of State. A translation of this letter I now subjoin. “Perhaps I should have published this letter at once, but, seeing that it was addressed, through me, to the Irish bishops, and that the mission was one chiefly of inquiry, inspired by the anxiety of the Holy Father for the welfare and peace of Ireland, I thought it was enough for me to communicate the letter to the bishops. “I hope this explanation will put an end to all controversy, which I very much deprecate,—l am, dear sir yours faithfully, ; * ; , ' x , ...* “ * MICHAEL CARDINAL LOGUE."