Lord Dudley and the Irish People

New Zealand Tablet, 6 April 1911, Page 635

Lord Dudley and the Irish People

The Tribune, writing of the St. Patrick's Day celebration in Melbourne, says:—'Special interest was attached to this year's celebration from the fact that it was the first occasion on which both the Governor-General and the State Governor have attended the celebration, and that was the last St. Patrick's Day celebration which their Excellencies would attend in Australia. On that account, it was decided to take advantage of the occasion to present Lady Dudley and Lady Carmichael with souvenirs of their stay in Australia. The presentation to Lady Carmichael was made at the National concert in the Melbourne Town Hall on St. Patrick's night, while that to Lady Dudley was made at the celebration on Saturday. Their Excellencies the Governor-General and " Lady Dudley, and Sir Thomas Gibson-Carmichael and Ladv Carmichael, were reeived at the main entrance to the Exhibition Buildings by his Grace the Archbishop and a committee composed of the Minister for External Affairs, the State Attorney-General, Mr. Justice Higgins, and Mr. Justice O'Connor, Dr. A. L. Kenny, K.S.G., Hon. J. G. Duffv, Dr. N. M. O'Donnell, and others. V , " Welcome by the Archbishop. His Grace, after welcoming the Governor-General and the State Governor, addressing Lord Dudley, said: Your Excellency, On behalf of this great assemblage, and, indeed, on behalf of all who are celebrating St. Patrick's Day throughout the Commonwealth, I welcome you to our celebration, and I thank you for the compliment you have paid to Irish- alia by your presence here to-day. If I distinguish between Irish-Australians and other sections of the community, it is contrast one with the other, but to signify, as your Excellency admirably pointed out from this platform two years ago, that the observance of .national festivals, and the preservation of national characteristics, instead of creating division or weakening the body politic, are rather calculated to harmonise the different elements of society, and to give strength and stability to the Empire. We know that what is most beautiful and most useful in •creationa ray of white light—is really made up of the

'.. m —., ;■;■; - • ■_-...».•,...,.. -,„..'.."... combination of all the colours of the rainbow. One of these colours is green, and, so perfectly does -t coalesce with tho red and blue, for instance, that it is only when decomposed by a prism that its separate existeuce is in evidence. In our social life the green may be taken to represent Ireland, the red England, and the blue Scotland. Unite the colors, and you get a ray of pure and perfect light. Unite the peoples, and you get the perfection "of strong and harmonious action. Whilst exhibiting the green, therefore, we are really not disassociating ourselves from any section of our fellow-citizens. r It is only two short years ago, continued his Grace, since many who are present welcomed the coming, and now we have to speed the partin guests. We deeply regret your Excellencies' approaching departure. Here, as in Ireland, you have won the hearts of the Gael. There is surely a magnetic influence winch draws one human heart to another. Your Excellencies possess it. You have drawn us by the cords of Adam, by the bands of love. To exercise this power certain qualities are required—first, absolute sinceritv; second, strong sympathy; and, third,; commanding independence of character ■■ Mr. Duffy will presently read an address to your Excellency. Afterwards I shall have the pleasure of presenting to Lady Dudley a gift which she will esteem, not for its intrinsic worth, but for its artistic value, and still more for its symbolic expression of human affection. It is a reproduction of the Brooch of Tara. The Brooch of Tara conies clown to us from at least the middle of the twelfth century. It contains 76 different kinds of ornamental patterns. The delicacy of the filigree work, the ornamentation of amber, enamels and translucent glass make it, in the opinion of Dr. Petrie, the highest specimen of ancient Irish art as yet discovered. The London Times wrote of it that 'lt is more like the work of fairies than of human beings.' Nothing could show more clearly the distracted state of Ireland than that it.has been lost for centuries, and only found in 1850 on the seashore by the child of a poor woman, who sold it to a Drogheda watchmaker for a tew shillings. All the. wealth "of an American millionaire would not purchase it to-day from the trustees ot the Royal Irish Academy, where it is fitly preserved. Her Excellency will prize what we offer for "the sake of the original, and for the sake of the warm' Irish hearts that make the offering. When .'she was ill '< in London

last year she received a telegram from the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, assuring her that every Catholic man, woman, and grown-up child in Ireland was praying for her recovery. On the day she will leave the Australian chores she may likewise feel confident that from every Catholic heart in Australia a prayer will ascend to heaven, invoking the choicest blessings on herself, the GovernorGeneral, and their family. lam not authorised to speak for others, but I feel that I can say there is not a woman in the Commonwealth who has read the Beech Forest address of her Ladyship who will not breathe a prayer that she may be long spared for the benefit of her sex and in the interests of humanity. The Hon. J. G. Duffy then read the address. The Governor-General in the course of his reply, said: Not the least keen part of my regret at leaving Australia rises from the thought that this is the last occasion on which I shall meet the Irishmen of Victoria as a. body. I learnt to know and love the Irish people at home, and the qualities which attracted me there make the same appeal to me here. 'Their clime but not their mind may change who go across the sea.' Your kindness ranks amongst the pleasant memories I cherish of Australia. lam looking forward to seeing soon again the land from which you come, and I shall always continue to take the liveliest interest in Irish affairs. ' We all. trust that Ireland's future will be very bright, and I am sure that you share my hope that any changes, administrative or other, that may take place, will be attended with unmixed good to Ireland, Great Britain, and the Empire.