COUNTY NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 21, 26 May 1904, Page 9

COUNTY NEWS

ARMAGH.— The Cathedral

The approaching consecration of the fine Cathedral of Armagh (writes a correspondent .of the ' Freeman's Journal ) may render it opportune to mention that Armagh only became a mensal parish in 1834, on the death of Father James Byrne, the last parish priest of Armagh. Previous to that date the Primates of Armagh mostly lived at Drogheda for a century. Dr. Kelly, Archbishop of Armagh, died January 13th, 1835, arid his successor, Dr. Crolly, took up his residence in Armagh. To Archbishop Crolly is due the building of the noble cathedral which now dominates the landscape round Armagih. As late as 1749 the scattered Catholics of the Primatiial City had to worship ' in a place of refuge,' and it was not till 1750 that the ' old chapel ' was bfailt in the spot since known as ' Chapel lane,' the structure being enlarged in 1806. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on St. Patrick's Day, 1840, and the work proceeded apace till Dr. Crolly's death in 1849. Dr. Cullen. his successor, had a short term of office, as he was translated to Dublin in 1852 ; but

Primate Dixon took up the work, which he continued till his death in 1866 1 . At length Dr. MacGettigan was enabled to have the cathedral solemnly dedicated on August 24th, 1873, when the late Father Burke, 0.P., preached. However, it remained for the present revered Primate, Cardinal Logue, to complete in every detail the glorious cathedral and have it consecrated.

CARLOW.— Demise of a Religious

Sister Gabriel M'Mahon, a member of the Brigidine Commiunity at Tullow, County Carlow, passed to her reward recently. She belonged to an old and respected family^ — one which had given another Sister member to the religious life — resident at Castletown, Mountrath. The deceased was in the 46th year of her age and the 23rd of her profession.

CAVAN-— Death of a Parliamentary Representative

Mr. Thomas McGovern, M.P., for West Cavan, who had been ailing for some months, died at his residence, Gortmore, Bawnboy, County Cavan, in the early part of April.

LlMEßlCK— Presentation

Mr. Joseph O'Mara, son of Alderman S O'Mara, of Limerick, was presented by the employes of the wellknown bacon-curing firm of O'Mara, Ltd , with an illuminated address and a watch and chain, on the eve of his departure for Canada to take over the management of a large bacon factory, lately acquired by the firm

StJGO.- Deputy Lieutenants

Major C. K. O'Hara, his Majesty's Lieutenant, has, with the approval of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, appointed The MacDermot, of Coolavin, and George Keogh, Esq , JP , both of County Sligo, to be Deputy Lieutenants in and for the said county.

TIPPERARY.— The Late Archbishop Croke

A marble bust of the late Archbishop Croke has just been completed and erected in the mortuary chapel of the Cathedral, Thurles.

WATERFORb.— Domestic Science

At a meeting in Waterford presided over by the Most Rev Dr. Sheehan, Sir Horace PLunkett announced that the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction intended carrying out an educational experiment of building two schoolrooms for the teaching of domestic science, one under the control of the Protestant Institution in Belfast, and the other under the caie of the Ursuline Convent of Waterford.

WEXFORD. -The Anti=Treatinj? Movement

Sir Horace PlunkcU has forwarded £50 to the uev J J Rossiter, House of Missions, Knniscorthy, for the promotion of the Anti-Treating Movement. In his lettei forwarding the cheque, Sir Horace Plunkett bcais testimony to ' Uie excellent work which is being done in the cause of temperance by the Anti-Treating League, and says that he intends this personal subscription Mom him as 'an expression of his practical sym-pattiy with the w.ork.'

r.RNERXL

Absence of <'rme

The Royal In<-h Constabulary (writes a uuimn correspondent) aie being supplied with the most enecti\e death-dealing A\eapons known to science, presumably lor the suppression of crime While this is so, the country is practically crimeless At the Cork Quarter Sessions the Recordei was presented with white gloves. In the County Limerick Judge Adams met with a similar gratifying presentation, and the same happened in many other centres of population. Something better might well be done with the thousands of pounds now being spent on purchasing rifles for the Irish police.

The Agricultural Department

The head of the Agricultural Department nas been sharply taken to task for the extraordinary yews enunciated in his new book with regard to the Catholic Church In the course of an able article in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record ' the Rev. Dr. Hagan, Maynooth, says that 'it must be a subject of the deepest concern and uneasiness to all Irish Catholics to see at the head of a great public department, with extensive patronage in his hands, a man who openly professes his belief that the conception of economics based upon their religion is, in several of its most essential aspects, fundamentally wrong and bad.' Father Barry, P.P., Oldcastltj, writing to the ' P'rceman,' says he would like to see a list of the officials of the Agricultural Department, their nationality, their salaries, likewise their duties and emoluments— night and day allowances, etc. —also contemplated outlay in procuring site for new offices for the Department. Something more 'to shock the economic sense,' he believes, would come to light than monasticism in Ireland.