Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 13, 8 April 1925, Page 47

Irish News

kTHE HOUSING SCHEME.—A MAIL-BAG MYSTERY.—IRISH MANSION D£* WROYED.—THE DONEGAL RAILWAY. DISASTER.—DEATH OF DUBLIN'S J V VICAR-GENERAL.— ' AND LISIEUX.

'I- In connection with the grants under the Housing (Building Facilities) Act, 2324 houses have been certified. The grants'paid to date amount to £19,252, and the total amount payable to £177,608. The following ' shows the number of houses being built under the scheme: Co. Cavan, 68 houses; Clare, 46; Co. Cork, 225; Co. Dublin, 164; Co. Galway, 146; Kerry, 158; Leitrim, 84; Co. Kildare, 10; Co. Kilkenny, 4; Leix, 1; Co. Limerick, 335; Co. Longford, 39; Louth, 13; Mayo, 225; Meath, 25; Monaghan, 40; Offaly, 4; Roscommon, 121; Co. Sligo, 89; Tipperary (N.R.), 8; Tipperary (S.R.), 9; Tirconaili, 86; Co. Waterford, 3; Westmeath, 23; Co. Wexford, 2; Co. Wicklow, 6; Cork Borough, 1; Dublin Borough 202; Limerick Borough,. 28 Waterford Borough, 14; Ardee, 1; Boyle, 1; Kilkee, 1; Loughsea, 3; Portlaoighise, 1; Mullingar, 1; Newcastle, 4; Roscommon, 11; Tuam, 2; Ballina, 3; Ballinasloe, 1; Blackrock, 7; Buncrana, 2; Carrickmacross, 6; Castlebar, 1; Castleblaney, 1; Clonmel, 10; Drogheda, 19; Dundalk, 2; Fermoy, 1; Galway, 7; Howth, 1; Killiney, 1; Kilrush,*6; Dun Laoghaire, 1; Monaghan, 2; Nenagh, 1;. Pembroke, 2; Sligo, 1; Thurles, 10'; Tralee,. 1; Westport, 5; Wexford, 2; Youghal, 12. 555 f A Newtownstewart mail bag mystery of 34 years' standing has been cleared up, a .leather mail bag belonging to the late Duke Abercorn having been dug up from a field where it had lain all those years. The bag, which contained correspondence for the late Duke of Abercorn, at Baronscourt Castle, mysteriously disappeared from the Newtownstewart mail car in 1890. A man was subsequently arrested in America, whence he had gone after the event, and was discharged. A laborer named Bernard Flanagan was working at a drain five feet deep in the field when he discovered the long lost bag. SSJ« Mullaghmore House, one of the oldest and finest mansions in Co. Monaghan, has been destroyed by fire. It was formerly occupied by the late Sir Robert Anderson, ex-Lord Mayor of Belfast, and latterly by Captain Taft, Superintendent Mackin, and Sergeant Hogan, of the Civic Guards, were injured by falling debris. ■■■■;' '"' isat : Moving stories of the Donegal railway disaster were told by those fortunate enough to escape with less serious injury and by people from the neighborhood who, in the dark, wet, and stormy night, undertook the rescue work. , It was eight o'clock on the Friday night •yjj/fcri the train, crossing the Owencarrow Viaduct, was caught in a violent gust of tfjnd and hurled off the metals. Four persons were killed and nine injured. The train, which was the last one from Londonderry on that night on the Derry and

Lough Swilly Railway, consisted of five vehicles, the engine, a goods waggon, two passenger coaches, and the guard's van. A terrific blast of wind caught the first passenger coach and capsized it against the cement and iron parapet of the, viaduct. This coach was smashed, and a portion of the roof was carried away. The , passengers were pitched headlong down a steep embankment a distance of 40 feet among huge boulders. Two of them were dashed to instant death and a third died shortly afterwards. The fourth victim was in the second coach and was also killed instantly. The coupling of the coaches stood the strain of the impact, otherwise the first coach, which remained suspended on the side of the parapet-wall would have crushed down the embankment . On visiting the scene of the accident on the following day one was amazed that any of the 14 passengers had escaped. One of them, a young woman named Campbell, of Dungloe, had an extraordinary escape. She seems to have been thrown clear of the train and to have landed on her feet in the marsh over which the Viaduct is built. With difficulty in the dark she extricated herself from the bog, little the worse for her terrible experience. In order to free herself, however, she was obliged to leave her shoes embedded in the swamp. ?' It was not until assistance arrived that it was discovered that three of the passengers were dead and that others were terribly injured. Tho dead were: Philip N. Boyle, of Arranmore; Neil Duggan, of Meenabone; and Mrs. Mulligan, of Falcarragh, The fourth victim was Sarah' Boyle, the wife of Mr. P. N. Boyle, who was killed, died in hospital four hours after the accident. Telegrams of sympathy were received from President Cosgrave and Sir James Craig. His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. Mac Neely, Bishop of Raphoe, sent a sympathetic telegram to the parish priests of the parishes to which tlie victims and injured belong. His Lordship on the Saturday received a telegram of sympathy from his Excellency, Mr. T. M. Healy, Governor-General. Dublin was shocked to learn of the sudden death of Right Rev. Mgr. Hickey, D.D., P.P., V.G., He was one of the VicarsGeneral of the Archdiocese and parish priest of Haddington Road. He had filled many posts since his ordination at Rome by Cardinal Parocchi in 1894. On his return to Ireland he was appointed Professor at Clonliffe College by his Grace Most. Rev. Dr. Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin.. He was at the same time chaplain to Mountjoy Prison, where he did wonderful work among the prisoners. Later, he was appointed Dean •of Residence at University College, Dublin, where he came into contact with many of

the undergraduates who have since made a name for themselves. In 1922 he was made President of Clonliffe College, and in the same year was created Vicar-General.' Some months later his Holiness appointed him a Domestic Prelate. Mgr. Hickey had won a name for saintliness and simplicity which secured for him the love of all classes, > but especially of the poor. His death is a matter . of sorrow for the whole city. The visit of President Cosgrave, with Mrs. Cosgrave, to Lisieux on January 13, has been already briefly chronicled. The following additional particulars will be of interest (says the Irish Catholic) : The President, having recently learned that many countries, of which Ireland happened not to be one, were ' represented at the Shrine of the Little Flower at Lisieux, spontaneously resolved to supply-the omission, and to offer to the Blessed Teresa of the Infant Jesus the flag of the Irish Free State, and himself bring it to Lisieux. : The President, accompanied by Mrs. Cosgrave and Mr. Osmond Esmonde, T.D., on their arrival from Paris were received at tho platform of the station by Abbe Germain, director of pilgrimages, who immediately brought them to Carmel by auto. There the distinguished party were received by the Mother Prioress, to whom Mr. Cosgrave presented the flag. "I esteem it of much account," he said, "to see Catholic Ireland figure in the glorious trophy of flags offered in homage to Blessed Teresa." "The Little Flower is as beloved as she is well known in Ireland," he added, "and the devotion towards this lovable little saint is one tie the more between France and my country." The President and Mrs. Cosgrave visited next the chapel, and Mr. Cosgrave deposited in the choir the flag of the Irish Free State. Having visited the Hall of Relics and knelt for some moments in recollection and prayer in the chapel enshrining the mortal remains of Blessed Teresa, Mr. and Mrs.. Cosgrave visited Les Buissonets, the home of the Little Flower, which they inspected with much interest, afterwards returning to Paris.