Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6, 11 February 1909, Page 227

Irish News

DERRY — An Unique Experience There recently died in the district of Ballymultimber, Magilligan, County Derry, one Alexander McLaughliri, who for almost the long period of 74 years enjoyed a happy married life with her who survives lriin, and whom he took for * better or worse ' to share in all his* joys and sorrows on December 23, 1834. DUBLIN— An Appointment The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has nominated General Sir William Francis Butler, G.C.8., to be a member of the Corporation of the Royal Hibernian Military School, in the room of Sir John E." Barry, resigned. Timely Intervention Owing to the timely intervention of the Lord Lieutenant and the Under-SecretaryMor Ireland,, the carters' strike which was paralysing business in Dublin has cojrie to an end, and the strikers resumed work on December 21. The National University » By the unanimous election of his Grace the Archbishop of Dublin as the first Chancellor of the new National University the right man was chosen for a position of the gravest responsibility (says the Catholic Times): He was a tower of strength to all the Catholics of Ireland for the past quarter of a century during the agitation for the establishment of the University. His voice was always firm and clear, and his extensive knowledge of the educational requirements of the people and of the circumstances under which former attempts by statesmen to settle the question had failed, enabled him to render invaluable assistance in the promotion of a practical solution of the problem. To the stimulating influence of his speeches and his writings the action of Mr. Bryce and Mr. Birrell can be largely traced. It was fitting, then, .on this account* alone, that the choice of the Senate should have fallen on him for Chancellor. But there was another consideration which could not be overlooked. In the case of the University as of every other undertaking, a good beginning is half the work. A good beginning, however, there coiild not be unless there were at its head one in whom Irish Catholics of every class have confidence. We need scarcely say that that confidence the Archbishop of Dublin possesses in the fullest measure. The Catholics of Ireland know that throughout his career his Grace has had .nothing so' much at heart as the interests of his country and his fellow-countrymen. Lecture by Sir William Butler On December 17 in the Mansion House, Dublin, General Sir William Butler, G.C.8., delivered an eloquent address on < Charles Stewart Parnell,' in aid of the Pamell Monument Fund, before a large and enthusiastic audience, whichincluded the most prominent city Nationalists and a big proportion of ladies. Sir William Butler said he proposed to speak of a man whose precise place in history was still" difficult to determine, a man who came into the political life of Ireland without any previous preparation, without notice, without training, suddenly, unexpectedly — a man' who almost from the moment when his feet touched the deck of our island ship at the age of 29, took the' helm as easily and confidently as though he had grown to " command through long years of political apprenticeship and:-pr6fes-sional service; a man whose youth or college course- had not been passed in the study of Irish history, who "had never brooded over Irish wrongs, nor travelled among the people of the island, nor shared their lives nor devoted himself to their politics, nor written nor read about them;" a man whose first attempt to enter the political arena "in 1874 had been a total failure; of whom critics of the cfcime wrote that he was only a respectable mediocrity, that he had no political capacity whatever, and whose place at the General Election of that year was at the bottom of the poll. A short fifteen years formed the span of his active' life, starting from 1875, which saw him classed "as an ordinary unit among the political nonentities of the day, and ending in 1891, the foremost figure among many notable personalities of the- era, and one, perhaps, whose name was destined to float -longest above the surface of the years to come. ' FERMANAGH— Bridging Lough Erne Lisnaskea Fairs and Markets Committee have initiated a proposal of the greatest importance, not only to Lisnaskeabut to the whole of South Fermanagh, namely, the buildmg of a bridge across Upper Lough Erne. The place where it is proposed to put the bridge is known as Fox'sFerry, where the lake narrows to a breadth of about 90

Irish perches. Nearly half-way across is Thanish Island on which it- is proposed to rest the bridge. There is a good deal of traffic across the lake at this ferry, especially by those from the Derrylin district on the west si«ie attending Lisnaskea, fairs and markets. * KERRY— lntermediate Education - The Most Rev. Dr. Mangan, Bishop of- Kerry, speaking at the Christmas distribution of prizes to the students of St. Brendan's Seminary, Killamey, said that while largegrants from Imperial sources were made to England Scotland, and Wales for secondary or intermediate education not a penny was given to Ireland. This was deplorable and disgraceful, and should not be tolerated. The Irish intermediate schools had lost at least 40 per cent, in grants for the last Hve years. St. Brendan's Seminary, with its increased number of passes, had lost at least £300 a year. LIMERICK— Fire in a Girls'. School At an early hour of the, morning of December 19, the girls school, Kilmallock," in charge of the nuns, was observed to be on -fire, which extended to - the boys' school which is attached. Both^jLefe destroyed, together with practically all they contained. MThe damage is probably . £1500 or £2000.. In atteinpting.;to save a statue the Rev. Mother ran a great risk, whil§ Father Mangan had a miraculous escape. Three Brothers in the Sacred Ministry t Th !,? T e^\ T - F * o ' N eill, Rev. T. O'Neill, and the Rev. James O'Neill, three brothers, natives of the County Limerick, who are on the mission in Australia (says a Dublin correspondent), left Liverpool in December en route for that continent, after having paid to Europe a visit of some months, during which they were received~*in special audience by the Holy Father. -His Holiness said he was much pleased to receive at one time three brothers who are giving their services to God in the sacred ministry. A fourth brother was also on the mission in Australia, but he died some time ago. Death of a Prominent Business Man The death is reported of Sir Thomas Cleeve, High Sheriff of Limerick Cityr^" The deceased was one of the leading commercial men of "the city, and was a great favorite with, all classes in the- community. Although a Protestant and Unionist he was" elected to every prominent position m the gift of the Sir Thomas Henry Cleeve was a son of the late Mr. Edward" Elms Cleeve, of Richmond, Quebec. He went to' Limerick as a youth to assist his uncle, Mr. Jaurneaux-, "proprietor of Messrs. J. P. Evans and Co.,- and showed" such marked ability that he rapidly rose to a prominent position in the firm. Later on his enterprise found an outlet in the direction of establishing and developing the condensed milk and creamery, which, with the more recently , established caramel and chocolate factories, have helped, to make' Limerick manufacture famous ifi all parts of the world. Sir Thomas took an actiVe part iri local affairs.. : -r- When the Local Government Act .came into force he:.was, elected Councillor for the Custom House Ward, and remained in office till 1902, when he did not. seek re-election. In 1905 he was placed at the head of the poll in the Castle Ward, and retired finally from the Corporation last January. He .was High Sheriff of the city in 1899-1900, in 1900-1, and was chosen for that high office -this year again. The honor of knighthood was conferred upon him during the late Queen's visit to Ireland in 1900. -- He was D.L. and J.P. for the- city, was a member of the Harbor Board and of -the. Chamber of Commerce, having been chairman of the last-named body last year, and he was - unanimously re-elected a few months ago. ~ Sir Thomas .-was chairman and managing director of the Condensed Milk Company of Ireland; senior partner in Messrs. Cleeve 8r05.,, of Limerick, London, and Liverpool; proprietor of "Messrs. J. P. Evans and Co., and had also a large share in the business of the Cleeve Canning and Cold Storage Company, New Westminster, British Columbia. LOUTH— A Venerable Priest . The parishioners of Cooley, near Dundalk, recently celebrated the golden jubilee of their venerable and respected pastor, Rev.- Hugh- Murphy. Father Murphy was born in the parish- of Killeshill, County Tyrone, on August 28, 1828. He is thus an octogenarian, the oldest priest in the archdiocese of Armagh, and his present state of realth gives promise of many years of work amongst his parishioners' yet. He was ordained in All Hallows College in September, 1858, and was appointed curate to the parish of Ravensdale, .County Louth. r In 1869, he, was. appointed curate in Cooley parish, and^was subsequently made pastor of the parish iij^- succession to the late Canon McCrystal.He has thus completed 50 years in the priesthood, and during that time he has. carried' out many important parochial works. An address has been presented to Father

Murphy by his parishioners, and it was accompanied by a beautiful suite of vestments (made in the Mercy Convent, Dundalk), the gift of the Sacred Heart Society of Cooley, which boasts a membership of 1800. WESTMEATH^-Division of Ranch Lands

A large area of ranch land has been distributed in North Westmeath, some five miles- from Mullingar. The lands distributed ' are situated in the. districts of Macetown, Cooksborough, Ballinderry, and Glaxtown, and are portions of the Packenham estate.

GENERAL

A Venerable Age The remarkable age of ninety-eight years was reached by Mrs. O'Malleyr mother of Mr. William O'Malley, M.P., whose death was announced on December 21. A Terrible Clearance In the course of a speech in Belfast on December 21, Mr. T. W. Russell, M.P., said that he had never believed, and he dared say that he could also say that he had never desired, that Ireland should ever become a great manufacturing country in the sense that England and Scotland were manufacturing countries. These things brought along with them troubles that they were happily rid of in Ireland, and he held that if the Irish people cared to work the land of Ireland — and that was not by rearing bullocks instead of men — if they would take care to have a mixed system of farming in this country — for he did not wish to drive out all the cattle — or if they wotild have a mixed system of farming with small industries where they could be suitably started and profitably worked, in ,. ten years they would have another country to what they had now. But the thing was not easily done. When they talked about a mixed system of farming they must remember what had taken place. Ho drove the other day over a huge tract of Irish country devoted to sheep and to cattle, and from that tract of country some sixty years ago eleven thousand families had been driven. They heard a great deal about other drives to-day. They heard very little about the human drive that took place in those ghastly years. That great drive in the late forties and the early fifties changed the whole face of Ireland, and they had now, whether they liked it or not, great portions of the country devoted to cattle ; and even when they were transferring the land now, in the endeavor to undo this, they found every effort blocked and impeded by the habit that had been engendered in the people of trusting to grass, and nob to tilling; and land given to the people now for the purpose of altering this whole system was all often sub-let, a small part of it tilled, and a great part of it given over to cattle. It would be a long and a weary work before the mischief that was done in the late forties and early fifties was undone. A Housing Bill Like England and Scotland, Ireland has its slums, and some of them inimical in the most extreme degree 1o health and comfort. Social betterment there cannot be till those hot-beds of disease are swept away. This problem was taken in hand some time ago by the Irish Party. Mr. J. J. Clancy, M.P., who had carefully studied it, undertook to draft and introduce a Housing Bill. The provisions of the Bill bore testimony to the hon. member's legal ability and his knowledge of the people's wants. The ingenuity displayed in the arrangements for liberating certain Irish funds in order to provide the requisite finance elicited general admiration, and Mr. Birrell very willingly gave his support to the Bill, recognising that its main purpose — to enable urban authorities to take steps for the better housing of the poor in the towns — was one to which the Irish Executive could not deny its practical, sympathy. But the acquisition of land for sites for dwel-~ lings was to be cheapened and quickened. A number of the Lords were ,therefore, hostile, and in the Upper House the measure was shorn of some of its desirable features. But such as it is, the Act is most welcome to the Irish people, and we feel sure that through its instrumentality the death-rate in the large centres of population will be reduced. The Act may be described as a valuable gift from the Irish Party to the cities and towns of Ireland.