Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9, 1 March 1900, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRIM— A Belfast Grievance —The Protestant papers in Belfast are troubled in spirit because an Orangeman has not been selected as postmaster of the northern capital. The yew* Letter pays : — We understand ihat a letter his been received by an influential gentleman in liella.-t to the elleot that Mr. Sheridan, the new postmaster of Belfast, is a Roman Catholic, and thit ore of the reasons why he obtaine t the appointment, which is regardea us one of the plums of the dcpirttnent, was beciuse h» has one yeir's eervice longer than Mr. Lindsay That appears to be an inadequate reason, considering Mr. Li dsay's li cal experience, which would undoubtedly have been of advantage, and considering aNo that the appointment should have been given to a Protestant. We are imformed that Mr Sheridan proved himself an excellent official in Cork.

ARMAGH —Death Of a Religious.— Widespread grief was felt in Lurgan on January 2 wtien it became kntwn that the Superioress of St. lo«eph's Convent of Mercy, Mother Mary Gertrude O'Hagan. had passed awjiy during the previous night. The deceased was the eldest daughter of the late Charles O'Hagan, J.P., who was extensively engaged in business in Newry, and thus belongs to an old an«t respected Catholic fan ilv. Early in life she displayed a desire to enter into the service of Clod, and accordingly, at about the age of 20 years, nhe entered the Convent of Mercy in her native town, Newry, and shortly afterwards took her final vows. She continued there until the month of September, 1871. when she was transferred to St. Joseph's Convent of Mercy, Lurgan, to fill the then vacant position of rev. mother. The choice provtd a most desirable one, as sub-equent events have amptly shown, for from the time that she took up her duties she labour, d with untiring energy, in conjunction with the then parish priest, i he Very Rev. James M'Kenna, to bstter the condition of the schools and the convent itself.

CLARE —A Reception Ceremony —A rec ption ceremony took place at the Convent of Mercy, Eunis, about the middle of December. The young lady received was Miss Margaret Lenihan, of Scariff (in religion Sister Mary Vincent), niece to the Rev. M. D Lenihan, PP., Silvermines, County Tipperary. The Most Rev. Dr. Macßedmond, Lord Bishop of Killaloe, celebrated the Mass. assisted by the Rev. Father Enright (Diocesan College).

CORK— Death Of a Priest.— The death is reported of the Rev. Father Coveney, of Ovens. Cork. Father Coveney entered Maynooth in IS 7O, and was ordained in lS7(i, going to Bantry, County Cork, as curate shortly after. Later he was transferred to Bandon, and thence to the chaplaincy of the Cork Workhouse. When he was subsequently sent t > Caheragh he found it necessary to take up the cause of the oppressed tenantry. Father Coveney also officiated at Courceys and D unman way, and some few years ago took up the curacy at Ovens, where he laboured incessantly up to the time his health failed.

Death of a Christian Brother.— Many friends in Wexford (writes a correspondent of the People') will regret to learn of the death of Brother Jerome J. Murphy at the Christian Brothers' Monastery, Cork, after a brief illness, aged ♦>'.) years. Brother Murphy, who was a most accomplished scholar, was Superior of the Wexford Monastery about ten yeirs ago, and effected many improvements in the bchools. He had numerous friends in Wexford who will hear of his death with sorrow. On Christmas Eve his remains were interred in the little ce-netery attached to the monastery.

DUBLIN.— The Lord Mayor in the bnited States — At a meeting of the D blin Corporation recently a resolution was unanimously adopted placing 1 on record their high appreciation of the honour conferred on the Lord Mayor by the President of the United States on the ossasion of his lordship's recent visit to Washington and the warm reception given to him on that occasion.

Ordinations at Clonliffe College- -On Sunday, December 24 (writes the Dublin correspondent ot the .»//• h'ra), a number of students were ordained at Clonliffe College His Grace the Archbishop performed the ceremony, assisted by the Rev. Father Dunne, vice-presideut of the College, and the Rev. D. Petit, the Rev. A. J. Moore being master of ceremonies. The following were raised to the priesthood :—: — Rev. Louis Ryan, Maynooth ; Rev. Michael Headen, Clonliffe College ; Rev. John Ballisty, CM. ; and Rev. John Ellis, All Hallows. Rev. Denis OSullivan, CM., was ordained deacon, and the Rev. Authony Murphy, Clonliffe, and the Rev. J. Murray were ordained sub-deacons. Father Headen is going to the diocese of Dunedin, New Zealand, of which the Most Rev. Dr. Verdon, a former president of Clonliffe College, is Bishop.

A Portrait of Lord Edward Fitzgerald.— in the National Gallery, Merrion-square, Dublin, is a picture of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, by a contemporary painter, Mr Hamilton, a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy. A copy has just been made by a Dublin painter, Mr D. .1. MoEgan, and this ha* been on view for some time at the Members' room in the City Hall. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Tallon, purchased the painting just before Christmas.

The City Technical Schools- — At the annual distribution of prizes at the City of Dublin Technical Schools the secretary's report showed that great progress had been made during the year, when the largest number of pupils yet reached 107'» were enrolled. The average nightly atteudance was 21.~> as against 24i> of the preceding session. A scheme of scholarships for pupils attending ihe evening classes was established and examinations were held for same iv May. The report gave many interesting details of the

various classes, the most recently established of which, namely, a class for teaching the use of the linotype printing machine, is very largely availed of. The Lord Mayor, in the course of hi 9 remarks, attributed the backwardness of technical education in Ireland to the neglect of the Government in past years to make any adeq iate provision for it. But it is to be hoped that a new era is now opening up. and that in future an amount of care and attention more commensurate with its importance will be devoted to the subject of to^hmVal education.

KERRY— The Mackerel Fishing— On the whole the nut nmn mackerel fishing along the Kerry ooust has been fairly successful. The opening months were the best known for some seu-oiis past, but during the last months the takes of fish were not numerous. Tne Great Southern and Western Railway are very much Bhve to the importance of the fiahing industry in this district. They have a project in hand for building a deep-water pier at Kenard Point, m that the fish can be loaded direct from the boats to th>' tnukf. It is also proposed to extend the premises at Valontia Kailway Station. KILDARE -Death of a Staunch Nationalist .— Through t lie r'e.itli of Mr. Thomas Raker, of AUenwood, which occurred recenll)'. th'» district ha-* lost a staunch Protestant Nationalist, who, unlike ihe majority of his co-religionist", threw in his lot with his Catholic fellow-countrymen in every agitation carried on for an amelioration of their grievances. In the days of the Land League, and, subsequently, in the days of the National League movement, he was a prominent figure at all politic il meetings, un<i attired in the old Irish garb, knicker-bocker, and body coat, evidenced externally what he was in reality — an ideal Irishman. LIMERICK.-Death of a Venerable Lady— The death took place recently at Thoinond Row, Limerick, of Mrs. Anne Murphy, mother of the Hey. Andrew Murphy, president of St. Munchin'a College, Limerick. There has been a suec j Hsion of bereavements in Father Murphy's family within a short time. Some months since hia brother, the Rev. Patrick Murphy, was called away ; then his sister, Mrs. Johanna Fitzgerald, died ; and finally his mother, who had reached the age of sevency-five, succumbed to a lingering illness. LONGFORD— The Hon. E- Blake and the University Question. — In the course of a speech delivered at a public meeting in Longford on January 7, the Hon. E. Blake, M.P., said that the subject of higher education touched in the most vital spot the growth and elevation of the people. 'It is not a question for the few (he said) who can directly enjoy the blessing ; it is a question for the masses, who must largely depend on the trained and broadened, the strengthened, instructed and elevated minds of the race for guidance and leadership. It is a burning shame that in this country, famed of oli for the pursuit of learning under barbarous and incredible obstacles, there should be no suitable provision fo r the highest cultivation of the intellects of the great Catholic maj iri'y. Now, though some leading men in boih British parties acknowledge the grievance, they seem powerless to redress it. In fact, the Conservative party counts in its ranks many of the extreme Low Church eection and of the Orangemen ; while the Liberal party gains its greatest strength among the Nonconformists. But in these elements of the British population mingled with numbers holding broader and more generous sentiments, there are yet to be found in one q tarter many examples of the survival of an intense hostility to Roman C itholioi^m, and in another quarter many more exampltM of a determination, in the supposed interest of common or non-sectarian education, and in despite of the faot that Irish education is now almost universally denominational, to refuse to the majority here a University, though by no means exclusive, yet as Catholic in atmosphere as Trinity College is Protestant. This condition of political opinion bars the door to Parliamentary success on this, treated as an isolated question. It can prevail only a» an element in a great imperial settlement of the Irish difficulty. I agree then in the view expressed by a most eminent Irish ecclesiastic, that this question depends upon Home Rule lam proud to remember — fur it happened that I myself siiu^e^tPd the plan to our friends of the Irish Committee— that the amended scheme proposed to the House of Commons in ISM was then received with practical unanimity. But the fruition of that or any other scheme is now, I believe, inexorably biund up with the larger question ot Home Rule. Still we should press for redress, and make manifest our sen^e of this as a serious National grievance." Tne conclusion of the speech was a strong plea for unty.

GENERAL.

Proposed National Assembly.— A. special meeting of the Wexford County Council was held on December 23, at which a delegation was appointed to represent the Council at the National Assembly of Ireland. Sir Thomas Esmonde, Bart., M.P., in moving the resolution delivered an important speech, ij which he explained his position in the matter, and dwelt at length on the possibilities of a properly organised National Assembly. The following ia the resolution proposed by the chairman, and unanimously adopted :—: — 'That we appoint a delegation of four members of this Council to meet in Dublin a similar delegation from each of the County Councils and County Borough Councils of Ireland, with a view to the formation of a National Assembly, whose duties shall be to formulate the p >licy of the Na'ionalists of Ireland ; the conduct of Parliamentary elections affecting the National welfare, as the County Couucils, I'rban Councils, and District Councils shall direct by resolution from time to time. That we respectfully invite the assistance and representation of our clergy in this National Assembly, leaving the form of their representation to their own decision. That we invite the Nationalist members of tho.se County Councils, County Borough Councils, District and Urban Councils, where the Nationalists are in the minority, to send a delegation

similar to that of the other County Councils and Urban and District Councils to the proposed National Assembly. That we also invite the District and Urban Councils throughout the country to send each a delegation of two of their members to the said assembly. And that copies of this resolution be sent to the Bishop of each dioceae and to the chairman of each County Council, County Borough Council, Di-trict and Urban Council in Ireland.' As the efforts of Sir Thomas Esmonde in the movement he has inaugurated in Ireland are entirely based on a patriotic d poire for unity among the representatives of the country, his labours deserve the approbation of all well meaning friends of Ireland.

Sir Thomas Esmonde's Proposals.— The following resolution was passed at a meeting of Castleblayney Board of Guardians : ' That we tender our sincere thanks to Sir T. G. Esmonde, Bart., M.P., for proposing what we have often among ourselves thought both desirable and necessary, viz., the calling together of a body whose representative character should be beyond question. That we gratefully acknowledge the public service and patriotism of any public man, no matter to what section of Irish Nationalists he belongs, who has adopted this course. That it is an insult to the intelligence of the people to propose or suggest that the County Council, borough, district, and urban councillors elected by the people on the broadest franchise known in Ireland do not reflect the robust nationality of the country and are incapable of devising means of promoting all National needs. That in our opinion in addition to the delegates proposed by the Navan or Wexford resolutions there should be such a number selected by the Urban and District Councillors as to allow a representative from each parish. That the convention have power to found a National Association and finally decide all National questions. That the clergy attend as in Parnell's time.'

Nurses for the Seat Of War— During the last week in December Miss Talbot, of Westmeath, Miss Callwell, of Dublin, and Miss Mary Anna Davis, of Waterford, three lady nurses attached to the City of Dublin Nursing Institute, Bagot street, left the North Wall en route for Southampton, where they embarked for South Africa. They received a cordial send-off from a large number of friends who were present when the boat sailed. Miss Ro«a Lawless, of Dublin, who has also been selected for service, will probably leave with the next batch of nurses going out.

The Irish Literary Society-— The Committee of the Irish Literary Society (through the generosity of one of their VicePresidents, Mr. William Gibson) have offered for competition two prizes, the first of fifty guineas and the second of twenty guineas, for an essay on the ' Sieges of Derry and Limerick,' giving an account of those events, drawing a comparison between them, and discussing their historical significance.

The Closing Of the Century —The impressive ceremonial prescribed by the Bishops of Catholic Ireland for the inauguration of the closing year of the century (says a Dublin correspondent) was probably the most striking and solemn demonstration of a purely religious character ever celebrated in the Irish Church. There was indeed much to be grateful for on the part of tho^e privileged to take part in it, and much to be prond of in the way in which Ireland responded to the summons of the Holy Father to join in the celebration of the opening of the Holy Year. The celebration of the Midnight Mass was held in every city and town and in every rural parish throughout the whole country wherever the sacred rite was at all practicable. In Dublin the churches were thronged and it seemed as if the whole Catholic community of the capital had on the oscasion sunk all else in its eagerness to give full expression to ith desire to take part in the solemn act of united prayer in which the Vicar of Christ besought Christendom to join, in aU parts of Ireland similar scenes of enthusiastic fervour and religious feeling were witnessed. The occasion and its ceremonial will be long remembered by those who joined in the universal functions, for Ireland has never before given a more solemn proof of her living faith or of her obedience and loyalty to the Holy see. The e\ent was indeed at once solemn, significant and hopeful in the fullest degree.

The Bishop of Raphoe and the United Irish League.— In the course of a letter pent to a meeting held at Leiterkenny under the auspices of the United Irish League, the Most Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, Bishop of Raphoe, wrote .. — • The programme ot the League, as set forth in its provisional constitution, has my warmest sympathy ; and I do not think the sterling Nationalists of this country are likely to dishonour a good cause by employing wrongful means for its attainment. It is a good cauße to establish the farmer as a proprietor in his own land, liable only for an annual instalment, which is considerably less than the present rent, is to be reduced at fixed periods, and will finally disappear altogether, so as to abolish the relation of landlord and tenant, and make the hardworking occupier the true owner of the land he cultivates, subject to paying the taxes fixed by his own chosen representatives. It is a good cause to stem the tide of emigration, and plant from Meath to Galway, and from Tipperary to Donegal, thrifty families on the gra?s lands that were cleared in evil times and that now give an annual yield only up to a small part of their capacity if they were properly cultivated. The League proposes a just price. It is a good causs to provide, on reasonable terms, healthy cottages for the labouring class in town and country, with suitable garden plots or allotments, as far as possible. It is a good cause to return a solid Parliamentary representation at the general election, and to supply the momentum that will enable the Irish members to demand these reforms, and push to the front the education question, the financial relations question, and the National question. These things the United Irish League, with a ble.-sing, can do. But in an agricultural country, where the agricultural and industrial and social condition of the bulk of the population remains as unsettled as it is unsatisfactory, no political organisation

that is not largely based on a demand for the primary right of access to land, on reasonable terms, and decent homes for the toiling masses of the people, can hope to command the public strength that will wrest any great reform, even in the educational or financial line, from a hostile Parliament. The United Irish League knows no distinction of creed or class. But it must appeal, as a National grievance, to every true-hearted Irishman, no matter what his creed, that half a ceutury after Catholic Emancipation was wrung from the fears — not from the justice — of Parliament, Irish Catholics are still by law an inferior race in their own country. There are officer which they may not hold ; some of their clergy are banned by statute as felons ; mid the highei education, that conscience approve*, is denied to all.'