Irish News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 9

Irish News.

ANTRlM.— Ardoyne Church. On Sunday, May 18, the new church of the Passionist Fathers, Ardoyne, Belfast, was dedicated by the Most Rev. Dr. Henry, Bishop of Down and Connor. High Mass was celebrated by the Right Roy. Dr.. Whiteside, Bishop ol Liverpool, and a learned and impressive sermon preached by the Most Rev. Dr. Clancy, Bishop of Elphin. His Eminence Cardinal Logue presided at the ceremonies, which were attended by a large congregation. The collection; in aid of the building fund realised £2300, a fact which speaks well for the generosity of tho Catholics of Belfast. ARMAGH. Twenty six Armagh Guardians of the Poor sat in conclave some time ago. Of these, 20 were Protestants' ; the remainder were Catholics. A nurse had been advertised for, and seven applicants sought tho post. After the usual weeding process had been gone through, two candidates were finally selected. One was Nurs>u Kelly, who had excellent credentials from the governors both of the Cork street Fever Hospital and the Children's Hospital, Dublin. Sho was a Catholic, though she did not mention the fact when filling in the form of application. The other, Nurse Fisher a Protestant, hailed from Manchester. The 20 Protestants voted to a man for Nurse Fisher, because sho was of their own faith and likewise because Nurse Kelly was not. One is tired of hearing of Catholic intolerance from those who speak without warrant, and yet in Armagh not ono Protestant Guardian could be found to vote for the engagement of a Catholic nurse. DUBLIN Police Brutality. Scenes of disgraceful violence and brutality on the part of the police were witnessed in Dublin on Sunday, May 18 (writes a correspondent) when a meeting of the United Irish League, to bo addressed by Mr Niuinetti, M. P., was dispersed by tho constabulary, who used the grossest savagery in beating the people, oven ladies beinr ill-treated in the melee. Mr. Nannetti himself, although en-< gaged in tho perfectly legal and necessary task of addressing his constituents, was biutally battered by the uniformed rowdies, and had to be medically attended As usual in such cases tho police attempt to stop ones meeting resulted in three or four being successfully held, nnd more is likely to be heard of the matter. National Literary Festival. Tho Oireachtas, the national literary festival of the Gaelic League. was held in Dublin during the third week of May. The proceedings opened with the reception of delegates in the Mansion House. The programme: included story-telling, dancing, singing, Irish pipes competitions, and other items of a national character. KERRY.— Disaster at Killarney. The news of tho disaster on the Lakes of Killarney, which occurred on Sunday, May 18, and which was reported by cable at the time, sent a thrill of pain throughout Ireland. By the swamping of a pleasure boat on tho Lower Lake 13 lives wero lost. Nine tourists left early in the day in a four-oaned boat in charge; of experienced boatmen for a tour of the lakes. Near the Brickcen bridge the craft was either upset on filled by a heavy swell. All its occupants were drowned. The names of tho nine tourists that wero drowned are as follows : Mr and Mrs. Cheetham, of London ; Mr. Mrs., and Miss Furniss, of London ; Mr. Low, of St. Andrews ; Mr. T. Bowers, married, employed in Cork ; Mr. and Mrs. Travis, of Lancashire. Three bodies recovered in the wreck of tho boat wore identified as those of Mrs. Fur-

niss and Mr. and Mns. Travis. The names of the four boatmen were Hartnell, Cronin, Connell and Cronin. Three were niar«ried and leave families. One of them, Hartnell, lostJ his eldest son in the old Weir Bridge boating accident last October,. An Object Lesson. Addressing tho Kerry County Council at the close of the last quarterly meeting of the expiring body, the Chairman (Mr David M. Moriarty) said no ono could truthfully describe the population of Kerry as being loyal or contented under English rule — it would be more truthful to say that within very recent times that population was in a state of great unrest. It seemed a risky experiment to give tho population of such a county the government of its own affairs. And according as the result was favorable or otherwise, it afforded the most potent argument for or against Ireland's claim for self-gov-ernment. What had been the result ? They had reduced instead of increased taxation. Thene was further tho fact that the rates had been collected and lodged almost to tho day. In a few instances where small portions of tho collection had been lodged a few days late, they had heavily fined tho collectors. The payments to their district councils had been made to tho day, and their road contractors and all others who had had dealings with them had always been paid without absolutely ono moment's delay. Thero were no such things as outstanding cheques, which were not unheard of before the Local Government Act, and finally in the financial year ending tho 31st March, after meeting overy possiblo obligation, they closed with a balance to credit of £900. Then, as always happened with newly-created bodies, they had to put various Acts into force ; they had to get the whole machinery of the new county Government into working onder, and he claimed — and no one could contradict his statement — that they did everything within the day specified in the Acts, and no decision that they came to had been upset or even challenged in n. court of law. They wero also charged to a limited extent with the interests of the agricultural and commercial classes. They opposed tho Bill of a great railway company, who up to that had levied rates on tho agricultural and commercial community without question or demur, and they forced them by an expensive opposition in Parliament to give them the concessions they asled for ; and lately when they sought to upset theso concessions, they at once opposed them before the Railway Commissioners, and their action resulted in a gain to the county of over £10,000 a year. Altogether, then, their bitterest enemy must acknowledge that their council had achieved a great financial, administrate c, and executive success. LIMERICK.— A Niggardly Spirit. On tho recommendation of the Commissioners of Irish National Education, tho Treasury sanctioned tho erection of training colleges at Belfast, Waterford, and Limerick. Yet the Government havo refused to contribute a penny towards tho building of those absolutely necessary public institutions. At the formal opening of the Limerick Collego recently tho Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyor complained bitterly of this: injustice, and was heartily supported by the Bishop of Waterford. Tho matter was also dealt with by Cardinal Loguc when blessing tho new schools at Ardoyne, Belfast. His Eminence stated that notwithstanding the niggardly spirit in which these three Catholic training colleges were treated as much a3 £18,000 was recently offered for a building sito to erect residences for teachers In training at tho secular institution in Marlborough street, Dublin.

Training College. A new training college for female teachers was recently opened in Limerick by tha Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer. The Bishops of Cork, Waterford, and Boss were present, in addition to several other ecclesiastical dignitaries and representative laymen. WATERFORD. The indignation of Munster Catholics (writes a Dublin correspondent) foicibly expivc&sed at so many public meetings failed to draw from the Protestant Bishop of Cashel either a retraction or explanation of the language attributed to him by the Ulster Press. Even the Municipal Council of Waterford city, where hia Lordship resides, appealed to him in vain, and in all probability the vile slander upon Southern Catholic^ would go for ever unrefuted by Bishop O'Hara were it not for the remonstrance addressed to him by the Most Rev. Dr. Sheehan. This drew a reply which leaves much to be desired, and is indeed far from satisfactory. While denying generally, tho accuracy of the report, he fails to point out any specific error, and; naively expresses regret that ' remarks which were only intended for Pnotestants have caused pain to others.' Was there ever a morq damaging admission ? The greatest firebrand that ever addressed an Orange mob could safely make similar excuses for his indiscretions. Dr. Sheehan, on receipt of Dr. O'Hara'a explanation, wrote that ho was ' unable to consider the letter or tha mode of publication as at all adequately meeting the just demands of our Catholic people,' and requested him to send a full explanation over his own hand to the newspapers of Coleraine and Belfast, and thus undo the wrong inflicted upon us and our fellow-Catholics of tho North.' So far, at least, this does not appear to havo been done. Much more satisfactory than Dr. O'Hara's belated and unsatisfactory explanation ara the disclaimers of Protestants living in peace and concor<l with their Catholic neighbors in the South. At an influential meeting of Protestants in Waterford recently a resolution was adopted which, after expressing, pleasure at his Lordship's denial, continues, ' we gladly testify that in our experience there is no foundation whatever for the allegation to tho effect that in this part of Ireland Protestants are merely suffered to li\o by a sort of grudging concession on the part of their Roman Catholic! neighbors.' Tho ' Waterford Chronicle,' a Protestant journal, in tho course of an article, says : ' We may say that the alleged reference of his Lordship of Cashel to the ill-treat-ment of Protestants in this part of tho country is not in accordance with our experience, and is very much to be regretted.' Among individuals who have spoken strongly in condemnation of Dr. O'Hara are General Dunham Massey and Mr. Georgo Russell, of Clonmel. GENERAL. The Christian Brothers. It is just a hundned years (says tho ' Catholic Times") sinco Edmund Ignatius Rice, a retired Waterford merchant, began the work of founding tho Institute of the Irish Christian Brothers. The centenary will be duly celebrated nt the bebinning of June, and it may safely bo said beforehand that the number who will take an interest in tho event will bo legion. The work founded by Brother Rice spread fnom Waterford to all quarters of Ireland, nnd from Ireland to all Englishspeaking countries. At present the instituto has flourishing branches in Great Britain, America, Australia, India, and South Africa. Recently tho Brothers were called upon to provide an educational safeguard against tho wiles of Protestant proselytisers in the Eternal City. Wherever they have planted their schools the Irish Christian Brothers

have rendered invaluable services to the people. This has been so especially in Ireland. They have held last to two great principles — thoroughness in religious training and usefulness in ordinary education. Though handicapped by the Government's refusal to give them a grant in consequence of their adherence to a religious programme in their Irish schools, they teach modern science in all its practical forms, and have equipped their schools with the best scientific appliances. The youth who has passed through their course of training is, if gifted even with the most ordinary intelligence, eminently) qualified to fight his battle in the world. Temperance Revival. In a letter, which the Rev. Father Fortune has addressed to the ' Catholic Times,' he ainrms that the evidence of a great temperance revival in many parts of Ireland is manifest. Father Fortune is of opinion that the wholesale granting of licenses at Galway may have been after all a blessing, in disguise. To it he traces the Limerick resolutions which are likely to serve as a model' for the guidance of magistrates 1 , the determined action of the Standing, Committee of the Irish Bishops at their meeting in January, the bold utterances of the Lenten Pastorals, the public letters of representative men amongst clergy and laity on tempenanco reform, and finally the conference of the Irish magistrates for the discussion of the licensing question. We learn from Father Fortune that people in all parts of the country are awakening to the importance of the new , movement. The pledge drawn up by the priests of Wexford county, with the approval of the bishop, whereby a promise is is made not to give or accept a treat in any place where strong drink is sold has become very popular. In parish after parish the Anti-Trcating League has been established. Everywhere, throughout the diocese, especially at fairs and markets, may be seen the beneficial effects resulting from this latest endeavor to stem the tide of- intemperance. Irish Exports. Ireland exports yearly 640,000 cattle and about the same number of sheep. If the land were in the hands of the people at a fair rental such exports would soon be multiplied, even after supplying the wants of a teeming peasantry. In 1841 Ireland's population was 25 to the square mile, now it is only 14 ! • Stuffing ' the Police Force. According to a statement made by the Chief Secretary for Ireland, it appears that of the officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary, 35 county inspectors are Protestants, as agahistj four Catholics, and 60 district inspectors axe Catholics, as against 154 Pnotestants,. Yet it is 1 said that' promotions are not mainly determined by consideration of religion. The Licensing Question. The licensing question (writes a Dublin correspondent) has reached Ireland at length, and public opinion has at last awaked to the presence oi a new burning question. In Ireland — unlike England and Scotland — the trouble is usually about new licenses in country towns or villages. The granting of such new licenses is too often made a party matter or a question of political bias. The bishops lately spoke out strongly, on the subject, and about the end of May a meeting was held in Dublin, presided over by the Lord Mayor, and addressed by the Earl of Mayo, Professor Mahaffy, and other representatives of the minority, ' protesting against the indiscriminate granting of public-house licenses.- If the agitation should fail to give pause to the prevalent habit of granting new licenses indiscriminately, it isi quite on the cands that licensing may be taken out of the hands of the Irish magistrates, or an attempt made to that end.

Evictions. From Dublin Castle a return has been issued of the number of eviction notices filed in the High Court of Justice and County Courts) in Ireland, under Section 7 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1887, during the quarter ending the 31st day of March, 1902. The total is 529. A return has also been issued of the numben of evictions from agricultural holdings which have com© to the knowledge of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and also of the number of tenancies determined in the quarter ended 31st March, 1902.