THE IRISH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8408, 24 April 1907, Page 3

THE IRISH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

LONDON, February 21

A good display of New Zealand produce will be on view at the Irish International Exhibition to be opened in May. Mr Cameron, of the Produce Department, has no definite datails at the moment, but we may be sure Dublin will have everything of the best that the colony can show. The idea of the Exhibition took root four years ago, when an Industrial Conference was held in the Irish capital, and it was unaimously decided to hold an International Exhibition as the best means of acquainting the world, in the first place, with the extent and variety of Ireland's industrial, commercial, and artistic output, and with the extent and promise of her partially developed resources; and, in the second place, of stimulating commercial development and promoting industrial education, by inviting all nations to exhibit their products both raw and finished. A sum of £200,000 has been either subscribed or promised, and the site, in Herbert Park, has been presented to the people ■ of Dublin by the Earl of Pembroke, in commemoration of the coming of age of his son, Lord Herbert. The buildings are of great extent and exceptionally beautifr.l design. Their architectural features are in the main Florentine, but'many deviations have been made to harmonise, as far as possible, with the natural features of the site. The principal building is a huge octagonal court, from which four wing-buildings radiate, and this court is surmounted by an octagonal dome 150 ft high. In these wing-buildings will be housed all sorts of British and foreign industrial exhibits, the last word in commercial progress, and a speaking contrast with the exhibits in the entrance hall, which will lie devoted to collections of Irish historical objects and curios. Beyond the central building, there will be, to the left, a Palace of Art, in which will be shown collections of the fine arts of Ire- '. land and other nations. There will be a Palace of Industries—a machinery hall three hundred yards long—and the Canadian Government is going to tremendous expense to equip a worthy pavilion to display the products of the Dominion. Other Governments, foreign and colonial, are organising exhibits and the programme promises th®widest variety both of various historical, artistic, and industrial object lessons and of those lighter forms of entertainment which are familiarly associated with such Exhibitions.

There will be, of course, a central lake, which is being excavated, and on which will'* ride gondolas and electric launches, and probably miniature war vessels will do battle for the benefit of the numerous visitors who will, ' undoubtedly, come frum all parts of the globe. In the huge Concert Hall, in which a specailly-built organ is being- installed, there will be almost continuous concerts, and some of the greatest artists in the world, and most of the famous bands, have been, retained.. But it is perhaps the Irish Village Saction that will be moat interesting t.> New Zsalanders. There will be shown Irish cottages, and models of what Irish ebttages ought *to be, a model of a village hall, which is a thing badly needed in most Irish villages, and lastly, though by no means least, there will be shown a typical western village street, and a village, green, where light-footed colleens will recall the zest of the "Kerry Dancing" so famous in song and verse.

A match will be played at Greytown, on Saturday next, between the Mnsterton and Greytown senior taams.