Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 15, 10 April 1902, Page 9

Irish News.

CLARE. — Strong Reasons.

The Most Rev. Dr. Mcßedmond, Bishop of Killaloe, has been gi\ ing in his Lenten Pastoral the reasons why the Irish bishops deem tho indiscriminate and excessive multiplication of public houses such a source of danger, and that they are very strong reasons cannot be disputed In Ireland, one of the poorest countries in the world, tho enormous sum of £,15,000,000 sterling is spent yearly on intoxicating liquors. This sum, it appears, more than equals tho agricultural rents and tho imperial taxation of the country combined. Whilst it is true that the expenditure on intoxicating drinks in Ireland is less than a tenth of the drink bill of tho United Kingdom, which amounts to nearly £l.">r>,ooo, 000 sterling, or twice the rent roll of the three kingdoms taken together, the duty of Irishmen in this matter is not the less imperative. The evil of intemperance has been allowed to grow too freely. In the year 1845, when the population of Ireland was eight millions and a quarter, the number of licensed houses in the country was 15,000. During the interval since then, while the population has fallen away to less than half or barely 4,000,000, the licenses have increased by nearly 4000— to 18,751. It is a cause for heartfelt satisfaction to see bishops, priests, and people now appreciating tho gravity of the danger. CORK.— The King's Cup.

His Majesty the King has offered a £100 cup for an international yacht race organised m connection with the forthcoming Cork exhibition. It is expected tiie Meteor, Columbia, and Shamrock 11. will compete. A Strange Language.

Quite a sensation was caused by a well-dressed young lady in a largo drapery establishment in Cork recently who addressed one of the assistants in Irish. The assistant replied in Knglish that he did not understand, and asked her to state her wants m English She spoke again in Irish, and the assistant called the chief of the department to the rescue. As the customer still persisted in addressing him m Irish, ho sought the manager, who was an Englishman, and so did not throw much light on the subject At length, after a council of war, the troublesome customer was conducted upstairs to a department m which was a young country lad, who was able to answer her in the na.ti\o tongue and give her wh.it she wanted. She was taken from department to department, and left without speaking one word of English during her visit. A Valuable Prize.

Cardinal Logue has presented a Belleek dinner set, worth £.">O, as a prize for the bazaar to be held in aid of the Cloyne Cathedral Building 1 Fund. DOWN.— A Popular Work.

To Ulster Catholics the name of the Rev. James O'Laverty, M.R.1. A., the venerable pastor of Hollywood, County Down, is ,i household word. As the historian of tho diocese of Down and Connor (says the ' Freeman's Journal '), lie has given to the public five volumes that are a storehouse of erudition, and are works of invaluable reference to everyono interested in the religious, social, and political history and traditions of Antrim and Down It is gratifying to note that popular opinion upholds the verdict of the experts. From tho annual report of the Belfast Public Library Committee it appears that amongst the 21 books called for during last year O'Laverty's ' Diocese of Down and Connor ' occupies sixth place.

Parliamentary Flection.

In consequence of the retirement of Mr. McCartan from the representation of South Down an election of a new member became necessary. Mr. Jeremiah McVeigh, of London, was the only candidate, and he was declared duly elected. Nuns as Nurses.

At a recent meeting of the Newry Board of Guardians Sister Mary Patrick Collins and Sister Mary Bionach Gallagher, of the Convent of Mercy, Newry, were appointed assistant nurses of the infirmary, Sister Mary Elizabeth Pignam, of Dundalk, having already been appointed head nurse. DUBLIN.— Death of a Dean.

It was with deep regret that the people of Dublin of all creeds hoard of the death of the Kight llev. Monsignor Walsh, P.P , Kingstown, Dean of tho diocese, which took placo at his residence, Kblana Lodge, after a short illness Deceased, who was 70 years of age, was born in Dublin city, and having at an early age shown a vocation for the Church, he entered Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1856 TTc was subsequently appointed curate in SS. Michael and John's parish, and was next transferred to High street parish as Administrator, having been some 10 years a curate in the first-named parish. He was afterwards appointed Vicar-Oeneral, and in 1885 was transferred, as parish priest, to Kingstown after tho death of the Right Rev. Monsignor Quinn. Dignities were then showered upon him, and he was appointed archdeacon of Dublin and Domestic Prelate to his Holiness the Pope. On the death of Dean Kennedy he was appointed Dean of the diocese. During his pastorate he was instrumental in having the Church of St. Michael, Kingstown, completed, and also the erection of a tower and spire, as well as the building of a new presbytery at Monks! own. A Will.

The will of Mr. John Al'Call, Dublin, late editor of ' Old Moore's Mmannc ' has been valued at £4000, the bulk of which goes to his son, Mr Patrick J M'Call, T C LIMERICK.— Butter Standard

At a meeting of the Guardians of the Newcastle-Wost Union, Mr. Thomas Hurley. ,1 1' , presiding, a resolution was unanimously adopted stating that any standard fixed of under 20 per cent, of water in butter would be injurious to the buttcrmakers of the country ; that over 20 per cent, of water should be punished severely, and that 10 per cent lie the standard for creamery and factory butter. Coal Mines. The Board of Agriculture, in compliance with resolutions emanating" from tho Clin Rur.il District Council and tho "Limerick County Council, have sent down to CJlin two experts for the purpose of ascertaining whether coal exists in the neighborhood of the culm pits at Clogoui>h, which 60 years ago were successfully worked by the thon Knight of 01m. Three years since Messrs. Cassell and Cardenes. Scotch mining exports, \ ksited tho locality, and satisfied themselves Ihat anthracite co.il was to be found in several places in tho vicinity of tho old culm workings. Tho report of the engineers from the department of agriculture is anxiously a waited by the people of the district and by Ihe representative bodies in the county Intemperance.

Preaching on n Munday recently in St. .John's Cathedral. Limerick, in tho presence of the Mayor and the members of the Corporation, the Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyor referred in strong language to the sad prevalence of intemperance in the city, quoting police statistics in support of his remarks.

MAYO.— Imprisonment.

Mr. John Hay den, M.P., left the House of Commons on February 14 for Castlebar gaol, where ho surrendered to the governor to undergo 21 days' imprisonment under the Coercion Act.

TIPPERARY.— The Game Laws At Clonmel Petty Sessions Mr. Kdmund de la Poor, son of Count de la Poor, was fined £5 for carrying a gun and using dogs in pursuit of game without a license. WATERFORD.

AiDout the middle of February there died at Ballyguiry, within a few miles of Dungarvan, County Watcrford, a man named John Foley who had reached the age •of 106 years. His remains were' interred at Ballinameela. He was a remarkably healthy man all through remarkably healthy man all through life, and never knew what it was to bo sick. Up to the last he retained all his faculties, and died through sheer old age. And strange, in the same part of the county now there is alive and well a man named Devinc, who is said to be at' present 110 years. The district must be remarkably healthy, and it would not be easy to find in all the country a parish which could boast of two men so old* as he who has just , died and Devine who is still living. WEXFORD.— An Appointment.

The many friends throughout the country of" tho Rev. Edward Aylward, P.P., Blackwater, learned with pleasure that the Bishop of Fernspromoted him to the "vacant Canonry in the cathedral.

iGENERAL The Land Question.

Just before the Easter adjournment of the House of Commons, Mr. Wyndham introduced an Irish Land Bill, which was read a first time. It has created a favorable impression. It provides for setting aside three millions for the non-compul-sory purchase of estates, the payment to he made in gold, the Government reselling tho land to the tenants if three-fifths of them are willing to buy. Religious Antipathies. Political incidents often have gravo moral results — sometimes for the worse, and occasionally for the better. It would be a happy outcome of Mr. T. W. Russell's campaign in Ulster (says the 'Catholic Times') if he blotted out the spirit of religious animosity in that province, and made all the men of the North good Irishmen and good Christians. Reviewing tho East Down contest in the ' Morning Leader,' Mr. Russell says this was tho first fight in which the wedding of Protestant and Catholic for a common end had been tried. These men have been glowering at each other through the mists of prejudice for centuries. They were now called upon to act together, and Mr. Russel was enabled to triumph .because they did so. He states that Mr. Wood his candidate, obtained the votes of about 2000 Catholic Nationalists and IGOO Presbyterian farmers Mr. Russell, with his knowledge of Ulster political life, is aware that it is not the Catholics who have been responsible for the maintenance of religious antipathies. They have proved their freedom from prejudice by voting for Protestants time after time. Let us hope he will have such success amongst the Protestants as to induce them sooner or later to vote for a Catholic - <''«*^ Irish in London. It is of interest to learn from the London census returns recently published that the number of Irish-born people resident in the metropolis has declined by something like 14 per acuut. djurifng the peisst t<*n years, the total being now only a little over 60,000 as compared with 70,000 in

1891. . This would certainly be a matter for sincere .gratification (writes a London correspondent) were one certain that it indicated a decline" in the rate of emigration from Ireland. But, unfortunately, the emigration returns themselves afford us all too little proof that such is the case. The only conclusion, therefore, one can draw is that a less proportion of our people nowadays emigrate to England— or at any rate to London — than of old and that they turn rather in increasing numbers to America 'and the colonies to Jind the home that Ls dented them in- their own land. Nor, indeed, can anyone wonder at their choice who knows the disadvantages which beset the path of the average Irish Nationalist in this country, and the invincible prejudice which he has to face at e\ery turn in the battle of life. For all that, one cannot regard a diminution of the Irish population of Great Britain without some sense of regret, for perhaps nowhere outside of Ireland itself is the value of the individual Irishman to his country greater than here in England and Scotland. The Irish vote constitutes a political weapon of enormous importance at the present time in a great number of constituencies, and anything which tends to lessen its strength can hardly be regaidud otherwise than as a serious loss to the National cause. It may lie, of course, that London is an exceptional case, and that the experience of other centres is totally different. However that may be, the lesson winch the census figures have for us here in the metropolis is to teach us the necessity for still better and better organisation, so that what we may lose in actual numbers we may make up in the effectiveness of our combination. A Peculiar Appointment.

In a letter to the Irish newspapers 1 the Revr-JM. P. O'Hickey, P.D., A1.1t. 1. A., Professor of Irish in Maynoqth College, calls attention to another examplo of how Irishmen ore ignored in their own country when Government appointments are to bo filled. The latest specimen of this system is the selection of a German to examine papers in the Irish language at the intermediate examinations. For some time it was rumored that such an appointment was in contemplation by the Board of Intermediate Education, but the idea was too absurd to entertain Front Father O'Hickey's remarks (says the ' Belfast Examiner ') it appears that tin- appointment of a foreign gentleman has actually been made for the current year. The anti-Irish character of the Intermediate Board is too well known to require additional emphasising. Their own actions will do that with much more force than the words of any critic can apply. Recently the CoWnissioners took care to give Irish such a place on the now programme that very few students, when they shall ha\o taken their compulsory subiects, will be able to dedicate themseU es to the study of their native tongue. But this latest act of the Board, should the report prove to be correct, eclipses their previous record of consistent antagonism to Int-h sentiment.