THE IRISH ENVOYS IN AUCKLAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 7, 14 February 1907, Page 15

THE IRISH ENVOYS IN AUCKLAND

(From our own correspondent.) , Last Tuesday afternoon, February 5, Messrs. J. Devlin, M.P., and J. T. Donovan, -accompanied by his' Lordship the Bishop, visited St. Benedict's Hall and addressed the children of ■ our schools, who filled the big hall to the doors. There were on the platform Very Rev. Father Gillan, V.G., Rev. Fathers Holbrook, Cahill, Sheridan",- and several members of. the committee. Mr. Devlin expressed his" delight at seeing, so many of them to weloome the. envoys from Ireland?' v W'hen, he returned to Ireland he would tell the children there 1 about the vast crowd of girls and boys he saw in Auckland under the fostering- care of the Sisters and Brothers. ' He himself was a' Christian Brothers' pupil, and to that Order he was indebted for his education. He exhorted them to be good and. * obedient children, and when they grew up they would be goad Catholics and citizens of this bright' and happy land. He asked them to always with pride the dear old land of their fathers, where so muoh had been done and so much suffering endured to give to them to-day that grand faith of theirs. Mr. - Donovan followed in a litke and at the Conclusion of his speech the children gave three hearty cheers " for the envoys. , His Lordship the Bishop thanked the, envoys for their eloquent and inspiring, addresses, and at the lequest of Mr. Devlin granted all a whole holiday next day.

In the evening the envoys Onehunga, accompanied by Bishop Lenihan,; Rev. Fathers Holbrook, Cahill, and Williams, and a number of ladies and gentlemen from Auckland. The object of the ' visit was to open the Young Men's Club-room. Rev. Father Mahoney occupied .the chair, and in . a felicitous speech welcomed the distinguished visitors. Mr. Devlin, who was loudly cheered, delivered a most instructive and eloquent speech to the young men, in which he extolled the many and great benefits to be' obtained from young .men's societies. To the Sexton Debating Club in Bel- , fast, of which at the age of fifteen he was chairman, ho was indebted for his early training as a speaker, He urged them to band together and improve themselves, and fit themselves to take their place in the front rank of ' citizenship in defence of all that tended to 4 m P r °ye and make happy this beautiful land. Ho then referred to Ireland and the long and unceasing struggle which she waged, rightly struggling to be Iree. He epitomised the history of the struggle, and concluded by impressing upon the young men to study the history of Irc r land. Mr. Donovan followed and reiterated the opinions _ expressed so eloquently by the chosen of West Belfast. He well remembered Mr. Devlin's activity amongst the young men of Belfast, and how he forged ahead, mainly through the means afforded "him by the Sexton Debating Society. The speaker referred to his Australasian experiences, and . dwelt particularly upon his observation and the opinions he formed of the young men of Irish extraction in whom he was much interested.

The Rev. Father Mahoney then presented Mr. . Devlin from .the members of the club and the local -^ branch of the H.A.0.8. Society with a pair of gold . sleeve links, and to". Mr. Donovan a greenstone ornament in the form of • a .shamrock. Both gentlemen" returned hearty thanks. . • . The visitors then visited the club rooms, and the * Bishop declared them open. All ' present expressed their pleasure at the enjoyable evening spent. < On Wednesday" the Bishop entertained at dinner at the palace the envoys, and a number of the priests. At .9 o'clock in the evening the ' Sonoma ' was signalled. This told us that the envoys were soon to . leave. A cable tressage from his Eminence Cardinal Moran to Right Rev. Mp;r. O'Haran conveyed the news that the latter was on the '.Sonoma.' The Bishop, the envoys, and Rev. Father Holbrook went to the steam-

er, where they welcomed Monsignor O'Haran, who had with him Fathers " Walsh , and JPhelan. Monsignor O'Haran conveyed many . kind messages and good wishes from his Eminence to the Irish envoys. At midnight the envoys - returned to the ' Sonoma.' Mr. F. \ Moore (hon. treasurer), Mr. M. J. Sheahan (hon. sec), 'Mr>.. W. E. Hackett, and Mr. James Gleeson, of Napier,- stayed- with" the two distinguished Irishmen, on board until, the steamer left the wharf early on " Thursday morning. As she moved out hearty cheers- were given for . the envoys, who in return gave three cheers for New Zealand. Good-byes, were shouted Across the water from wharf to steamer and -vice versa; - and thus- came to <an end -the . twelve months' triumphal tour- in Australia and -New . Zealand of Mr. Joseph Devlin, MrP., and Mr. J. T. Donovan. Proportionately New Zealand has contributed more towards- the Irish -envoys' mission than any .of -the States of the Commonwealth. This is on the authority- of Mr. Devlin himself. _ "' , „„ Of all the places visited, by the envoys not in any one of . them did. they feel so much at home as in Auckland,- .which they said they left with the deepest regret. This was due in- a great. measure to his»Lprd- - ship ;the Bishop, who devoted to them while here the whole of his busy time in order to make them feel at home. Mr..D«vlin twice thanked -the Bishop for his kindness, and in return asked his 'fellow countrymen to rally round the Bishop at all times, . and show, him how they appreciated -the manner in wihich he, the Bishop, had treated the envoys from .Ireland. So far the gross proceeds of %ix. Devlin's mission to Auckland City amount to £stfO. Mr. James Gleeson, of Napier, accompanied Mr. Devlin sill round- .the North Island, and the latter said it helped to lighten his labors considerably. Of the speech made by Mr. "Gleeson, in seconding the motion of thanks at Napiei^ * Mr. Devlin speaks in, hitrh praise.