Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 31, 10 December 1897, Page 9

Irish Ne ws.

GENERAL.

CAVAN— The Price of Potatoes : Tenders for Workhouses. At the meeting of the Bailieborough (County Cavan) Board of Guardians on Wtdnesday, October 6, tenders were considered for the supply of potatoes to the workhouse till March 2oth next, last year's price being 4d per stone. One tender was at lod per stone, a second at 9d per do, a third at BJd per do, and a fourth at(>jd per do. The latter was accepted. CORK.— An Example for Landlords.— Mr. Henry Lindsay Young 1 , J.P., of Cork, attended at the Devonshire Arms Hotel, Youghal, for the purpose of receiving the September rents from the tenants on the estate at Pilmore, near that town. Last year I had the pleasure of recording: his grant of a reduction of 7s 6d in the pound (says a Dublin Freeman correspondent). This year, recognising in a very practical manner the damage done to the potato and other crops by the bad weather that prevailed during the summer months, he went further, and voluntarily gave the handsome reduction of 8s in the pound. Furthermore, having ascertained from his tenants that their potato crop was also a complete failure, as what escaped the blight was nearly all unfit for food, he promised to give them a quantity of new seed potatoes in the coming spring, and to lesson the danger from blight in the future he advised them to spray their potatoes, he himself giatuitously supplying them with spraying machines. The End of a Notorious Land Agent.— A man named O'Mahoney died in a common lodging-house in Mitchelstown the other day, at an advanced age, and over his remains the coroner's jury held an inquest, declaring that he died from natural causes, a Bynonym in this case for want and destitution. The man's life ar.d death sum in themselves the old and newer Ireland. Twenty years ago O'Mahoney was a land agent, the most powerful and terrible in all Ireland. The teuants on the vast estates he managed literally quaked in his presence and bared their heads as he passed, or suffered for their negligence. Then came the Land League. Conflict followed. The proud and pompous agent, enraged at the disappearance of the obsequiousness, used every force at his command to break the people again to his will. Police and soldiery were freely given him, and at their head he sought to cow his whilom slaves. But fierce as was the struggle and great the suffering ot those who bearded his power, he fell, as Ml the system he embodied. In later years a mere mendicant in Dublin, he crawled back to die amid his native hills, where erstwhile he ground the people with a Dahomeian tyranny. Pity was the only feeling his return evoked, and pity the only sentiment his wretched death inspired. DUBLIN.-Wolfe Tone Memorial -1798-1898. -The foundation-stone of the above monument will be ljid in Dublin during the ureat centenary celebration of next year. Up to the present very little has been done in Ireland to guarantee even a moderate bubscription being raided. It is a great and noble project, one that will require the general and generous co-operation of the Irish race. For the purpose of stimulating a forward movement at o r ice, a subscription list has been oi>emd in the \orthi'rn Patriot, Belfabt, requesting the subscription of 1.000 000 pennies. Already 1,200 have been subscribed. Young Irishmen and women anxious to co-optrate can have cards forwarded from 10 Howard's street, Belfast. Eve? - y collector of 2i pennies will be placed upon the Wolfe Tone Memorial Roll, which will be published on Tone's birthday. 1798. As a mcmento'of the era and the work done a handK>ine portrait of lone will be forwarded on receipt of returned collection card. FeiS Oeoil. — A meeting of the Executive Committee was held on Friday, October 1, at the Central Office, 11) Lincoln place. Present — Mr. Charles Kelly (in the chair), D. J. O'Donoghue. G. Coffey, Dr. Culwk-k, Brendan lingers. Miss Eisner. Miss Alex. Eisner, Mi.-s M. Gordon, Miss Gonnell, W. Bapty, O'Neill, Ru?sell. Owen Lloyd, Miss Edith Oldham (hon secretary). E. E. Fournier (registrar). A letttr from the Ri^ht Hon. Thomas Plunkett, M P., was read authorising the registrar to place his name " on the list of the supporters of your excellent National movement.'" A donation was announced of £3 from Miss Alex. ElMier for the contralto prize. The list of composers' competitions was finally dtalt with, and the j Jollowing prizes approved of : — Cantata. £30 ; overture, £10 ; string quartet, £10 ; anthem, £."> ; unaccompanied part song. £3; Irish bong. £3 ; violin and piano duet. £?> : pianoforte composition. £?, ; harp composition, £3 ; organ composition £3 ; arrangement of Irish airs for wind band, £10 ; arrangement of Irish air,as part song, £2 ; Also a prize of £ 10 collected by Miss Edith Davis, Belfast, in memory of the late Carl Oberthiir. for a composition for small orchestra of ! strings', wood-wind, and harps. On the motion of Mr. Foamier, seconded by Mr. Brendan Rogers, it was resolved also to offer a prize of £8 for the best original song in the Irish language, and a prize of £2 for the best arrangement of an ancient Irish air as a song. On the motion of Dr. Culwick, seconded by Mr. Brendan Rogi rs, it was decided to substitute for the piece selected by the competitor in certain competitions — a test piece selected from the works of an Irish composer. The date of the October general meeting was fixed for Wednesday, October 27. The committee adjourned to Thursday, October 7. The Pilgrimage tO Rome. — On Monday, October 4, the first section of the pilgrimage to Rome organised under the auspices of St. Patrick's Roman Legion hy the Very Rev. Prior Glynn started from Dublin for the eternal City, and on Tuesday evening the remainder of the pilgrims took their departure. The pilgrims number close on one hundred, those who le.it on Monday being over sixty, while about forty others on Tuesday started on the journey. The pilgrims on Monday left the North Wall and proceeded direct to London. Having breakfasted in London, they started at 9 a.m. for Paris, arriving there that evening at 3 p.m. The next day, the

7th inst., they left Paris at 11.15 a.m., and travelling r la Aix-le-Mains, Turin, and Genoa, they will arrive in Rome übont midnight on the 10th. The return journey, which will si art on Moi.di>y, the 18th inst., will be riti F orence, Venice Milsm, Lucerne, Berne, Neuchatel, Paris and London, arriving 1 in Dublin by tbo mail on Sunday. The first section of the pilgrimage whs uurler the chnr^e of the Very Rev. Prior Glynn. and the second hection under the charge of the Very Rev. Dr. O'Brien, New York. Amongfat those who left with the first section were the Eight Pev. Mgr. Scott, Newfoundland ; Very Rev. Fri"r Glynn, 0.5.A., St. Patrick's Rome : Very Rev. Dean Staunton, D.D., P.P.. Kwinford ; Very Rev. J. T. O'Brien, P P., M.A , Ttconderoga, N.Y. : Very Rev. Patrick Staunton, P.P., Tubbercurry. Sligo ; Very Rev. Thomas Hackett, P.P., Loughmore. Ten pleinore : Very Rev. VV. 'Ihonison, St. \" illiam's. Man- . Hester ; Rev. J. O'Donuell, CC, Bray ; Rev. John Kelly. C.C., Dalkey ; Rev. J. Parkinson, C.C, Baltin«las-s ; and llev. Janus Foster. Liverpo >1, GAL WAY.— Memorial of Aughrim.— Rev. DanL-i Coghlan pari-h priest of Aughrim, is about to appeal to the Irish people for funds to enable him to erect a Celt'c cro*s or oth- r suitable memorial to the patriots who died in the historic struggle for freedom on the fit-Id of Aughrim. He hopes in particular that Gal way men will rally around him, and so help in the good work that the memorial will be erected before the visit of the exiles in ISDS. KERBY.-Marriage of Mr. J. C. Flynn, M.P.-Mr. J. C. Flynn, M.P., one of the secretaries of the Irish Parliamentary Party, was named on Saturday, October 2, to Mrs. Rebecca Rice, n* ice of the late Rev. P. Roche, P.P , Abbey Dorney, County Kerry. The ceremony took place at the Church of the Assumption (formerly the Church of the Bavarian Ambassy in London), in Warwick street, Regent square, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. P. Hickey, assisted by the Rev. Augustine Hogand and Rev. Dr. Sullivan. The bride was given away by her uncle, Surgeon General Rice, and Captain Donelan, M.P., the popular Whip of the Irish Party, acted as best man* The church was crowded with the friends of the bride and bridegroom. The drjeuncr was served by Gunner, Berkeley street, at the residence of the bride's sister, George street, Hanover square, and in the evening Mr. and Mrs. Flynn left for Rome. The member for North Cork was accompanied to the Charing Cross Terminus by a number of personal friends, who gave a cordial send-off to the newly-wedded couple. LIMERICK.— Bishop O'Dwyer on the National System of Education. — I n h* 8 evidence before the Manual Commission the Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer, Bishop of Limerick, dealt with several important aspects of primary and Intermediate education in Ireland. One of the chief f.iults of the National system, he pointed out. waa that it left little < r nothing whatever to the initiative "f the teacher. In a scheme of p a ti< al anil manual tnii.ing he would attach importance to the surroui dings, and it should have regard to the probable future career of the pupils. For instance, in city schools it should concern itself with uiban pursuits and mechanical occupations, while in the country it bhould deal mainly with agriculture. His criticism of the Interrnedi te system was of a very drastic description, and hi.- lordship express* d his belief that it was a great loss to the country that the Christian Brothers had been forced into such a system. He tmphasised the local shortcomings in the matter of technical education by pointing out that in Limerick two Englishmen had to be requisitioned for the teaching of that subject, and drew the conclusion, with which there will be pretty general agreement, thiit the remedy lor all these grievances lies in the establishment of a univer.-ity suitable to the needs of a Catholic people. LOUTH-" Ninety-eight " (Illustrated) in Drogheda. — Sunday, October 3, was the occasion of the opening of the winter session of lectur. s at the Oliver Plunketb Hall. Drogheda, under the auspices of th •1< cal Total Abstinence Society. The hall was filled to its utmost capacity, the special attraction being the subject of the Ucture " Who Fears to Speak of '5)8 .'" illustrated by limelight. Mr. L. J. Kin«ella, the lecturer of the evening, accompanied by Messrs. James P. Healey. and id ward C. Young, tm veiled down from Dublin by a morning train, and were met at the Drogheda station by Mr. James Gray, lion secretary, and a deputation of the Oliver P. unkett Total Abr-tineuce Society, and after partaking of luncheon, were treated to a drive through the historic Valley of the Boyne. On returning to the hall the visitors were received by Dr. Bradley, {ire.-idtnt of the society. Mr. Kinsella gave a very interesting historical sketch. Mr. Young's manipulation of the limelight apparatus was perf« ct, the views, from photoyraphio transparencies, being pronounci d most realistic. Mr. Healey interspersed the lecture at intervals with such national songs as " The weariu' o' the green," ■•Who fears to speak of '98 .'"'. ''A nation once again," his fine vocalism evoking hearty applause. Altogether the evening's proceedings were of a very enthusiastic and interesting nature. MAYO.— A Golden Jubilarian : The Very Rev. Edward Canon Gibbons, P.P., V.F., Balla.— The above popular and reFpected rev. gentlemen received the blessing of the Pope on the morning of his 50th year in the priesthood, which has afforded him much happiness, and the warm congratulations from other ecclesiastical sources has been numerous. The Re.v. Canon (says an Irish exchange) has always been appreciated throughout Mayo for his zeal and energy in every noble and good cause on behalf of his countrymen, and his golden jubilee has been honoured by everyone who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. His own parishioners had accorded him their congratulations, as he has been to them a father and friend wherever his good counsel or monetary aid was required, and his charity and hospitality were proverbial. The people of Mayo and his friends in foreign countries are day after day showing their marked appreciation of the Canon's sterling qualities by sending him their congratulations on his golden jubilee, a befitting occasion to pay homage to such a popular sogyarth aroon and patriotic Irishman.

Reinstated After 15 Years. — A man named Monaghan has been reinstated in his holding on the estate of Mr. J. H. Peyton, at Mount Daisy, from which he was evicted for non-payment of rent Borne 15 years ago. The reinstatement came as an agreeable surprise upon the people of the locality, where the hostile relations between the evicted tenant and landlord were well known. The landlord had no other alternative if he wanted to save the holding from ruin, nobody being venturesome enough to '' grab " it.

RoSCoMMoN.— Ballinaßloe Fair— The gap returns at Garbally Park showed an increase on Tuesday, October .">, of over 1000 on last year's sales. The number sold on the first day of the fair in '9<> was 23,836 ; to-day 24,81)8 were sold, being an increase of 1062. These figures bear witness to the briskness of the trade done. In fact, nearly all the sheep in the fair, except those in the bands of dealers, were bought up at once, and there were not many left over for the second day. At the September fair for ewes there were over lt»,O0U sold. Ttese figures are well up to the average of recent years, but they still represent a tremendous falling off as compared with the condition of affairs up to '7i). The horse fair, from which much was expected, is not likely to prove a very successful one. The buyers are complaining that the quality of the hunters shown is not up to the mark and that it is impossible to get a five or six year old animal of good quality. This state of affairs is due largely to the difficulty of getting breeders to keep good quality horses for such a long period in the hope of getting an adequate price for them when they are five or six years old. Another reason for the absence of such animals from the fairs is the fact that of late years the buyers, to satisfy the great demand, are in the habit of picking them up privately at the owners' places. Amongst the buyers at present in l&allinasloe are Messrs. Widger, Waterford ; Mr. T. Donovan, Cork ; Mr. James Daly, Liffey Bank, Dublin ; Messrs. Lawton, Carrigtnohill ; Mr. Johnston, Belfast ; Mr. Fox. Armagh ; Mr. Delaney, Dublin ; Mr. Oliver Dixon. Reading ; Mr. Wm. Keeping, Reading ; Mr. Deacon, Swindon ; and others. There have been several purchases oy Mr. Donovan, Messrs. Lawton, and others.

WEXFORD.— Windfall For a Wexford Farmer.— A cablegram from Portland, Oregon, to Messrs W. J. O'Connor and Co., solicitors. Gorey, received on October 7. announces an unexpected windfall for a farmer named M'Donald, living at Kilrush, near Newtownbarry. Some time ago a letter was received

by the Most. Rev. Dr. Browne, Lord Bishop of Ferns, from Joseph M'Carthy, of Portland, Orcsron. asking for information respecting the relatives of Thomas M'DonaM, who emigrated from W oxford half a century ago. Dr. Browne had the letter published in the Wexford papers, and in consequence the Messrs. O'Connor received instructions troin M'Donsild to write to Mr. M'Carthy. It appeared in further correspondence that ThomaoM' Donald had died intestate, leaving a very extensive property, and that only vi ry vague information could bo procured concerning the heirships. A claim was put in on behalf of the Kilrush farmer, and proofs that he was a brother of the deceased were forwarded. After considerable delay M'Donald's claim has been substantiated, and hu conies in for the entire assets of the deceased, which is believed when realised will run into very high figures. The fortunate one has not heard from his brother for over 40 years, and believed him to be dead long ago.

A New Irish Baronetcy. — Three new baronetcies and two knighthoods were announced in last issue of the (fnu-ttr. The most interesting is that conferred upon Sir William M'Cormae. president of the Royal College of Surgeons. Sir William was born in Belfast in 182(i. He had a distinguished academical career. He saw service during the Franco-German war as surgeon-in-chii-f of the Anglo-American Ambulance, and during the Turco-Servian war. Sir William is consulting surgeon to the French and Italian Hospitals and Queen Charlette's Hospital, and examiner in surgciy i'or the army, Indian and naval medical services. He acted as honorary secretary -general of the International Medical Congress in London, and for these services received the honour of knighthood ; he is also an officer of several foreign orders. Sir William M'Cormac is the author of " Work under the Red Cross," and numerous papers contributed to the medical journals. The Registrar-General and Irish Morality.—Commenting on the recently-published vital statistics for Ireland, the Manchester Guardian says :—": — " Ireland appears in a distinctly favourable light in the report now issued by the Registrar-General of the marriages, births, and deaths registered in that country since 1 81)6. People say a good deal, often by rote, of the improvidence of the Irish as a race, But so far as improvidence is shown by early marriage, one finds that Ireland has a much better record than either England or Scotland. The progrebs of elementary education may

be ascertained in a rough way from the number of persons married who sign the marriage registers or certificate, and the advance shDwn is very satisfactory. In the birth statistics the proportion of illegitimate births is exceedingly small, and the Protestant parts of the country once more compare unfavourably with the Roman Catholic. So far as the ratio cf illegitimate births is to be taken as a test of morality, Ireland is, with the exception of Greece, the most moral country in Europe. But while there is much in the report to which Irishmen may point with satisfaction, the emigration returns tell their usual story. In 189G the natural increase of population was more than counterbalanced by the loss of those who emigrated, and of the latter no less than 83-7 per cent, were between 15 and 3.> years old."

Mr. Michael Davitt : His Approaching Visit to America. — The Irinh American says : — We are informed that Michael Davitt is about to pay a visit to the United States, and will pass through New York on his way to California, where are now sojourning his family, whom he desires to escort back to the Old Country, so that they may be there for the '" Centenary of Ninetyeight." When Mr. Davitt was here some time ago an endeavour was made to have him deliver one or two addresses or the national question in Ireland ; but at the time his previous arrangements would not permit of the delay that would have been necessary. It is hoped, however, that now he will be able to spare time enough, on his return trip, to give his countrymen here his views on the present status of the " Irish Question " on the other side. The best message Mr. Davitt can bring to his countrymen here will be that which will indicate to them that their fellow-countrymen at home have come to their senses and are no longer being divided into factions.

The Irish Egg Trade. — A valuable discussion is going on in the Freeman upon the importance of the Irish egg trade. If properly managed it can be made a great industry, and attention to but a few small points is necessary. Improved poultry means a great deal, improved packing and treatment of the eggs by local collectors and exporters means a great deal more To have good eggs there must be more care in the first place on the part of the hen owner. It is now generally conceded that the nest in which the egg is laid has considerable influence on its future. Laid in a musty nest an egg will be musty. Laid in clean conditions it will be sweet and clean. Lifting the eggs immediately after laying and coating

them with some fatty substance, packing them closely and safely, and exporting them quickly, are all things which are easily done, and will give the Irish egg, which is comparatively near the markets, an easy superiority over that ot the foreigner. The low prices obtainable ior Irish eggs, according to Messrs Johnston and Shiel, of Liverpool, is attributable to the practice that the dealers and shippers have of storing the e g'jfs for a considerable time before they put them on the market. The farmers themselves may keep them for two or three weeks, muntry dealers then hold them for about a month, usually packed in any kind of straw they can find, and by the time theyha\e passed through the shipper's hands and are placed in the English market the bulk of Ihe ejrgs are alleged to be oftentimes uneatable. The storing and the inferior packing of the eggs form the burthen of the Liverpool merchants' complaint, and they point out that Continental produce always came to hand in excellent condition, well packed, and with consequently a much less per centage of breakage than the Irish article. They niaritn.ni nevertheless that if Irish eggs are sent fresh they will command the best price all the year round, and under the circumstances it would be well to hear the Irish side of the case from some competent authority. THE CUOPIMJ *' CHAVH. There is a spot the herd will pass. Nor taste its rank, luxuriant grass ; There is a mound that ilower or sun Can never tempt the child upon ; But on that mould have old men lain, Bedewing it with tears like rain, And young men, full cf purpose brave. Come there to bless the Croppies' Grave. The Croppies' Grave— oh ! love it well ! The spot where true men fighting fell ; Traitors to wrong, and might, and fraud, But true to Ireland and to Ood — Who dared the freeman's sword to draw To vindicate the freeman's law — And from th« land they could not pave Took its last gift — the Croppies' Grave

Heaven be their bed ; no, not in vain Their blood was lavished on the plain ; Not all in vain that greener grass Sighs to the young men as they pass. I see the lip, I mark the eye, That mutely send their stern' reply — " Thank God 1 high yet the flag shall wave That fell beside the Croppies' Grave." Martin MacDermott.