THE REV. FATHER MALONEY'S LECTURE ON "IRELAND."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 138, 29 September 1870, Page 6

THE REV. FATHER MALONEY'S LECTURE ON "IRELAND."

On Monday evening, the 19th inst., the Rev. Father Maloney delivered a long and eloquent address on " Ireland and its People," to a crowded audience, in the Tuapeka Athenaeum. Dr. Halley occupied the chair, and in opening the meeting said they were well aware of the object which had brought them together. The want of a new place of worship was much required in the district, and the Rev. Father Maloney had kindly consented to deliver a lecture in aid of the funds of such a bui.ding as they desired. The amount derived from the lecture would form the nucleus of future endeavours. The present place of worship, as they were aware, was very unsuited for the requirements of the district. In the early days, before the advent of black coats and bell-toppers, their present place of worship was looked upou as a little palace, but it was unjuited for these times of advancement and increased comfort. The subject upon which the Rev. Father was about to address them was one in which he (the Chairman) felt much interested. He referred in a few appropriate remarks to the fact that Ireland was again beginning to feel its own power. It had just got rid of a church which was a stranger to its soil — a church which, as Sydney Smith said, was like a butcher's shop in a place where nobody eats meaf. Other institutions like it which shackle the conscience, must before long be swept away. He would now call upon the Rev. Rather Maloney to address the meeting. The Rev. Father then rose, and in the course of a long lecture, of which we cannot give more than a mere skeleton, touched upon many points which brought forth the warm approval of the sons of Erin. Before entering on the subject of the evening, he might state that he had been invited by Father Ecquire to deliver a lecture for the purpose of raising funds for a new church. Up to the previous day he had not decided upon what he should lecture. He proposed several subjects, but none of them would suit excepting the one he had recently delivered, which was this, " Why is Ireland so Discontented ? "

and if he said auythiug to offsnd the feelings of any person present, he wished it distinctly understood that he did not do so intentionally. They had assembled together to examine one of the most important subjects which could engage the mind of man. Many present familiar with the records of antiquity were aware that at stated periods masses of human beings assembled together in all countries for mutual improvement and social refinement, by which means the civilisation of the world had been advanced. Every nation had its great day of celebration. America had its 4th of July, in commemoration i)f the time when: the Americans gained their freedom ; France annually celebrates the festival of St. D°.nis; India, St. Francis Xavier; England, St. Augustine and St. Greorge ; an-i Ireland, St. Patrick, who landed in Ireland in the year 432, and planted Christianity there, where he died at the old age of 120. The' Irish people hold high festival every year in commemoration of that great event. Here the Rev. Father gave a glowing description of the universality of this celebration. From the mouth of the Granges to Pekin, from the Pillars of Hercules to the GHant's Causeway, from Mt. Gambia to the Devil's Bit of Tiperary, the well known anthem of " St. Patrick s day in the morning " resounded far and wide, and there was not a truly .Irish breast in which the shamrock was not placed. Notwithstanding allthe persecution to which Ireland had been subjected, she still remained catholic. She still remained the gem of the ocean. That gem might be broken into many pieces, but it would never lose its brightness. 340 years B.C. paganism was rampant, and in every pagan country excepting Ireland, human sacrifices were made. The Rev. Father then recited the respective dates when Christianity was introduced into Ireland, Scotland and England. He said that between the time Christianity was introduced into Ireland and tho time of King Alfred's reign, constituted the golden age of Ireland's church — a period of three centuries. The despoiler had not then arrived— the bigot had not then armed his sons for the destruction of Ireland. The tyrannising hand had not then been raised; the first emigrant ship was not then ready — that suip 7 which

resembled an ocean hearse, more than anything else. All these misfortunes were unknown, and the sons of Erin had then no occasion to sing that mournful dirge of Campbell — " Oh, sad is my fate said the heartbroken stranger." In 1172 Henry 11. took possession of Ireland, from which time her glory passed away. The rev. lecturer referred to the large number of his countrymen who were either executed, imprisoned or transported for life by the tyrannising rule of the stranger. In 1533 the glorious Henry VIII., who murdered six wives, commenced his godly life. That king set himself up as a spiritual adviser, and the persecution which he carried on was continued by his successor, Edward VI. and his daughter Elizabeth. The lecturer then passed in review some of the intermediate history, and paid the following compliment to Oliver Cromwell and the Duke of Ormond. He regretted Ireland had traitors amongst her children as well as any other country. The Duke of Ormond sold "his country to Cromwell for £30,000. Sold his country to a man who gloried in saying he worshipped God by slaying the dirty Irish. If ever the devil appeared in human form, he did in the person of Oliver Cromwell in Ireland — a monster of the very worst description. The lecturer here referred to the Tipperary boys, who at that time fought like devils for their country, and by that means made themselves famous all over the world. The question of landlord and tenant was disposed of in the following mauner by the Rev. Father :— When James the First came to Ireland with his hosts he said, "Boys take all the land you want." That done, they induced the Irish to come forth from their hiding places in the mountains and occupy the land, and hence commenced the question of landlord and tenant. George the Third put an unjust tax upon the American people, which aroused them to a war, which resulted in the planting of the Flag of American Independence by Washington in 1732. This awakened Ireland, and brought forth some of her greatest sons. Behold Lingard, O'Conuell, Burke, Plunket, Sheil, aud Curran — men as illustrious as have ever graced the annals of any country. The happiest day for an oppressed country is when it is allowed free speech, and this the great O'Connell advocated in behalf of Ireland, and never ceased till the Catholic Emancipation Bill had passed the House of Commons. To show that Irelan-l did not gain enough by the emancipation, the rev. lecturer gave a heartrendiug description of the hundreds and thousands who met their death by starvation between the years 18 iS and 1848. More than once he himself had seen the doi^s eating their carcasses. Even the dogs were protected by law, but the poor Irish, the children of God and man, were allowed to die by the roadside. The Rev. Father referred to the Irish people during all their misery and persejution holding fast to their religion. To the eternal glory of bis countrymen, be it said, they had never shruuk from the faith. Toe State Church, which had been forced upon them, had been disestablished — a church which was a disgrace to any nation on God's earth — and he was sure that Ireland would never rest satisfied till all injustice was erased from the statute book of England. It had been said the Irish were no good. If they wore good at nothing else, they were good at populating the country. — (Laughter.) But he would ask — Who sowed the seeds of Christianity over the world? Who constructed railways in America? Who fought the great battles of England? Who but the Irish. They were always foremost on the battlefield. He would defy any man in any country to prove that an Irishman was ever shot behind. " Give rua 300.) Irishmen," said Wellington, " and I'll go over the world." Our space will not admit of our extending the summary of the Rev. Father Maloney's eloquent lecture, which was received with frequent bursts of applause. The Rev. Father Ecquire, in a speech characterised by its liberal and charitable spirit, moved a vote of thanks to the Rev. Father Maloney for his able lecture, which was carried by acclamation. The Rev. Father Maloney replied he was only too happy to respond to Father Ecquire's request to assist the church in Tuapeka with which he (Father Maloney) had been so long associated.

la compliance with Father Ecquire's request, Father Maloney sang a patriotic song.

Mr. Donovan then addressed the meeting, after which a vote of thanks was paused to the chairman, and the meeting separated.