OUR IRISH LETTER

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 34, 24 August 1905, Page 9

OUR IRISH LETTER

(From our owa correspondent.) Dublin, June, 1905.

In the present session of Parliament, one announcement has been nvaae that brings unmixed rejoicing to all Irish men and women who" truly love tLcir native land— so sweet now in all the ttcaaity of one of the most glorious months of June I have ever seen. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had to announce a big falling-ofl in his Budget, -owing in a marked degree tj a decrease in the drink bill both for this country and for Emglanld. The Chancellor considers that the increased number of public holidays, the early closing already adopted by many trades, the enormously increased facilities for public amusements of a legitimat-e description, especially cheap and easy transit to the seaside or to the country, have all conduced in a large measure to swell the wave of temperance that is setting for our Chores. Certainly on public holidays now it is delightful to see the thousands, respectably and neatly attired, who throng out by rail or tram a couple cf shillings taking a whole family out a good distance into the lovely country ?nd seaside districts that make the suburbs of Dublin so peculiarly attractive. It is delightful, too, to note that a drunken man or woman is scarcely to be seen sa\e in the \ery lowest q/uarters.

The Catholic clergy and what we call the National Movement have had much to do with this l\appy result especially as the clergy woik heart and soul in the Gaelic revival that is making not alone the .study of the Irish language, b»it national games, national amusements, national historical research, and national use of home manufactures (sa\e and except whisky) points of honor with us all— things to make us think," to make us self-reliant and self-respecting, and things to "make us joyous too, in the proper spin lof joyoiisnc-s. Temperance seems m.st now to be the one platform upon which all tne inhabitants of this small island can join niands and hearts , so a monster fancy fair, ' The All Ireland Temperance Bazaar,' has .;i,st been held in Dublin, worked by Catholics and non-Catholics. I do not exactly understand what is to be done vuth the £10 00(1 realised; I doubt if anybody dees, but at all events the moral effect of the demonstration i, supposed to be■\ery sobering.

An Alleged Outrage

The Guinness family has nsen to \asl wealth and political infliiuK-o through poiter, and <ue now members of what Sir William llaicourt wittily callod ' Tho Bceiage.' The Peisse family is anxious' 'to at tain the same cmls through whisky. It came to pass that IWr. Pcrssc's country hou.-o in dalway was alleged to ha\e been attacked of a daik evening- at least an account of a terrifying attack appeared quickly m the I -nionist press and at once a posse of policemen was despatched to protect the thieaiened household, while hundreds of c\tra ]>olice were quartered in the distiiil, at the expense of the local ratepajcis. True, when icprescntatn es of the people held an mquiiv and demanded ]\lr Persse's proofs and proofs from the constabnl it \ , it tuinod out that no one s>aw any signs of an attacking party The one only thing that could be bior-lit f,.rv.aid was that a stone-nono stone— was fiie<l into the lull through the fanlight abo\e the ball-door ; but win se hand ' thiew that stono? A young K, m lish lady, who was sta}inr with the family, rushed into ihc haU, picked up " tin dangerous missile, and raised <L n alaim Mr. Persic flew with his men 1o shoot down or ntheivvise capture tho moonljrri, tors, hut not e\ en the hjv's of unv of the attacking paity weie seen nothing; h ( ,i (he stone— the Stone of DesUny ,as it tinned mil to be for the yn'iuin; Lvly who ejplmH it The <<,i<ili\. i an- ullh the reioilsuf Ilcawlul denis rommil ' ( ill) (ho,s<> invisible mooiilmhtois, tJ i J( i .uponasi otbe; nn;<nrt,rU ste,)-, t i.l en was t.he des /M f<h 01 an olfi.-ial to im.s. <•< { (lie ( ountiv the stone, and—the \omii-c lady. Mr ten', the youii-' lady first, and went no further. r l hey are nicuned now" that irecious siono is 1o l ;e the fn.mdaf mm sfonc of tl.cii future happiness, an henloom in their family.

r riie Late Canon O'llanh n

We w>lio ki'Cw him, and all lovers of inio literature, are mourning a sninilv Trish pnesl who has just passed away, Canon John O'llanlon, parish pi iest of 'the Stai of the Sea,' Saivdymount, Dublin. The name of Canon O'llanlon is known throughout thewoild.aid his literary wonk for Ireland is an imperishable moinimen* raised by the indefatigable labors of o\er f,f(y yeais, the last