Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 21 August 1913, Page 39

Irish News

GENERAL. Sixty thousand people, including Mr. John Redmond, M.P., witnessed the great G.A.A. football final at Jones’s Road, Dublin, on June 28, when Kerry I beat Louth by 2 goals 4 points to 5 points. I The Government has nominated Mr. Dillon, Mr. I Swift Mac Neill, Mr. Healy, and Mr. James Hope as members of a committee comprising sixteen M.P. s of 1 various parties charged with considering whether any alterations are desirable in the practice and procedure I of the House of Commons. Mr Dillon joined Mr. Birr ell in a meeting at Bristol on June 27, which closed the Nationalist retort 1 to the recent Carson campaign. The Colston Hall, accommodating 5000 people, was crowded to excess, 1 and a crowd of 15,000 outside clamored vainly for admission. Mr. Jas. McGarvey, of Dirnan, Lissan, Cookstown, who, on the occasion of his 102nd birthday last No- 1 vember, was the recipient of a congratulatory letter from his Majesty the King, died on June 26, after a few weeks’ illness. Cardinal Logue paid his first visit to Lough Derg on June 30 and was presented with an address on behalf of the pilgrims by Canon Keown. In replying, his Eminence said that in making the stations the pilgrims were walking in the footsteps of saints, and found the peace which surpassed all understanding—peace with God. The Cardinal made a tour of inspection of the island. Writing in reference to the recent seizures of arms I at Belfast and other Irish ports, the military correspondent of a London weekly says: —‘ The rifle destined for General Carson’s forces is the Vetterli pattern, 1884, which was displaced in the Italian army by the ] Mannlicher Caracans pattern, 1891. The obsolete weapons, bought for the extermination of the Nationalists, can be obtained for fifteen francs complete. Thej Ulstermen’s military experts pay £1 10s for them. Shocking extravagance!’ Year after year the Wicklow Harbor Board gives a lesson in toleration. At the last meeting of that body Mr. Samuel F. Pirn, a Protestant, was unanimously re-elected chairman for the eleventh time. Mr. McCarroll, who proposed the election, said that if the same • spirit was shown in Ulster it would lead to a great deal more harmony and happiness than existed there at present. Mr. Valentine Kilbride, the well-known Dublin solicitor, has been appointed Taxing Master in the High Courts in succession to the late Mr. John Mathews. Mr. Kilbride comes of an old County Kildare family, who threw in their lot with their poorer brethren during p the eviction campaign on the Luggacurran estate, and' became victims to their loyalty, suffering eviction from a fine holding. THE LITTLE SISTERS OP THE POOR. An interesting case came up for decision the other day in the Dublin Courts regarding a bequest ' which had been left to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Dublin. A Catholic lady, recently deceased, had left a considerable sum in her will directing that it should be invested and the revenue from the investment paid .to the Little Sisters’ Home in Dublin, It seems, however, that the Little Sisters of the Poor are prevented by their rules from taking any legacy that was not an absolute gift. Counsel stated that the Sisters were forbidden to take dividends. Fortunately a brother of the testator, who is also since dead, had become aware of the dubiety of the Sisters’ bequest and had in his will left a thousand pounds absolutely as gift to the Little Sisters in Dublin in case they would fail to benefit from his sister’s will. GOLDEN JUBILEE OF A CONVENT. The golden jubilee of Banagher Holy Union Convent, the first foundation of the Order in Ireland, took place during the last week in June, amidst every

manifestation of popular rejoicing and fitting religious ceremonial. The Most Rev. Dr. Hoare was amongst those present. Rev. Mother-General Marie Achiiie, Rev. Mother-Assistant Valentin, and several Sisters from the parent house in Toumai, Belgium, visited Banagher for the occasion, as also did Mother-Pro-vincial Theona (Highgate, London), Mother Mary Aiden (Port Said), and the Mother-Superior, Margaret Mary, Athlon©. An address of congratulation and a purse of sovereigns were presented to the community on behalf of the townspeople of Banagher. His Eminence Cardinal Yannutelli, Director of the Order, sent a message from the Holy Father according his paternal blessing to the Sisters on the occasion of the jubilee, to • the presiding prelate, priests and people of the parish, and to the Mother-Superior of the community. The Cardinal also expressed his own congratulations and good wishes, . > HOME RULE SAFE. Jtn an article on ‘Home Rule' in the London Budget Mr. John Redmond says the provisions of the measure have been discussed at greater length on the floor of the House of Commons than any great constitutional change ever carried in Parliament. During all the months that have passed since then, frantic and most costly efforts have been made in the country to arouse antagonism. All the Unionist leaders in turn have denounced the Bill in the country, and the Unionist Alliance has - inundated every constituency with hostile literature and hostile speakers. And yet, by the confession of leading Home Rule opponents, they have utterly to arouse even the faintest echo of the old antagonism* and prejudice. The latest evidence of the feeling of the country has been afforded by Sir Edward Carson and his friends themselves on their recent tour. So mechanical was their reception, and so over stage-managed were all their proceedings, that Sir Edward himself has evidently been impressed with the futility of attempting at the eleventh hour to swing public opinion right round in his favor. No man, of course, can fortell the future with absolute certainty; but barring the chance of some political earthquake, it is, in my judgment, as certain as the rising of tomorrow’s sun that Home Rule will- have passed on to the Statute Book before this date next year. And once it is law, I am convinced it will be loyally accepted by all classes of Irishmen. MAYNOOTH UNION DINNER. The annual dinner of the Maynooth Union was held on June 26 in the Students’ Refectory in the College. The Very Rev, Dr. Hogan, President of the College, occupied the chair, and on his right was the Most Rev. Dr. Morrisroe, Bishop of Achonry. About i 200 members and guests participated in the function. I In proposing the health of the Pope, the President said that during the recent illness of his Holiness there were no people in the whole world that felt more sympathy with him than the people of Ireland, and he was sure that there were no people in any part of the world that prayed more earnestly for him. The toast having been most cordially honored, the Ven. Archdeacon Fricker (Rathmines) gave the ‘ Song of the Pope.’ Father Kerr (Belfast) and Father Gibbons contributed enjoyable vocal items. Rev. Father O’Doherty (Raphoe) proposed the toast of ‘ Our guests.’ He extended a hearty welcome to them all, from Ireland and abroad, and said things were going on fairly well at home. One thing he would like to remind them of was that after a struggle—■ and a hard struggle for agesthey were now in a position to see the dawning of the light and to : say 1 that after a short time they would have the prospect of being masters in their own country, and be able to pass their own laws and,legislate for their own land. Rev. Father Holbrook (Auckland) responded, and paid a high tribute to the spirit prevailing amongst the Irishmen of Australasia, and said that all through the Colonies Catholic and Protestant Irishmen were as ardent Hpme Rulers as those in Ireland. Very Rev. Father Logan paid a high tribute to 1 Maynooth and its learning. All through the Con-

tiuent, and especially in Belgium, the desire of the Catholics was tnat Ireland should get Home Rule, and aa quickly as possible. A CONTRAST. A Protestant rector went to Cork the other day (says the Irish Weekly) and delivered a lecture. He chose an outrageous subject— ‘ The antiquarian value of a knowledge of the Irish language.’ in the report of the proceedings we find -the following evidence of Cork * intolerance ’: ‘ The lecturer being one of the foremost antiquaries of Ireland, those interested in the very interesting study of which he has made himself a past master might naturally be expected to attend in large numbers. But though the published title of the lecture may in a way indicate that it would be an address of greater interest to the antiquarian than to the man in the street, those to whom the revival of the Irish language is a vital question attended in very large numbers. Every part of the large hall was crowded, .and a great many were unable to obtain admission. Indeed, the attendance was about as representative as ever gathered in the City Hall.’ The lecture was an admirable one; and a vote of thanks to the reverend and learned gentleman who delivered it was proposed in eloquent terms by the High Sheriff of Cork, a Protestant. The motion was supported by Mr. John J. Horgan, solicitor, a wellknown Catholic Nationalist, who said; ‘ They all recognised in Canon Moore an Irishman who loved his country, and the welcome they extended to him showed that they knew only one test in their ultimate analysis of a man, that they did not mind what a man’s politics or religion were so long as he was to Ireland true. They all recognised that characteristic in the lecturer. There was a German proverb which said, “there are people behind the hills,” and there was a great deal behind the names of places in Ireland. The names of places told them history. He remembered about fifteen years ago listening to a very beautiful lecture given by Professor Savage Armstrong, who said that the coming age would t®* one of cosmopolitan literature, and that the day of the small nations had gone. Well, five small nations had driven the Turks out of Europe, and he believed that Ireland, though a small nation, would be able to write a page in the history of the civilisation of the future.’ Canon Courtney Moore, the Rector of Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, was the lecturer on the occasion; and the people of Cork City honored him and cheered him. The venerable Rector has lived in the South for many years, and he is a Home Ruler. If Mr. William Moore, K.C., M.P., were a wise man, he would go to the other side of the Galtees for a few weeks and take lessons in common-sense from his reverend uncle the popular Canon Courtney Moore.