Oamaru

New Zealand Tablet, 13 May 1915, Page 26

Oamaru

(From our own correspondent.) May 8. At the recent municipal elections it is pleasing to note that another of our Catholic young men, in addition to Councillor Ongley, who was re-elected, has won the confidence of the ratepayers, and will take his place at the council table for the ensuing two years. I refer to Mr. M. F. Cooney, a promising young man of wide and progressive ideas, and a well-known debater, who can be relied upon to put plenty of energy into the working of the council. Members of the Celtic Football Club, and a number of friends, met at the Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday evening for the purpose of ' farewelling ' Mr. W. Direen, a member of the club, who had left that day for Trentham. Mr. J. Mullin presided, and stated that although Mr. Direen was not present he was pleased to perform a most pleasing function, and called upon Mr. A. Direen to accept a gift for his son, with the best wishes of the Celtic Club members. Eulogistic remarks by Messrs. Fennessy (captain) and O'Donnell (deputy-captain) followed. Mr. A. Direen, in responding for his son, said he was very pleased to be able to represent his son at the present gathering of young men. He had always fostered the feeling for sport in his sons, and he felt now that his efforts had not been in vain. He had had no idea that his son had been held in such esteem by the footballers and other sports bodies of Oamaru, and trusted that his boy would be able to fight on the field as he had played- football. He thanked members in return for the kind tokens of

their regard. He was sure his son would always treasure it as coming from the Celtics. Songs were sung by Messrs. Fennessy, Good, Brownes, Parsons, Quinn, and Eccles, and a lumber of toasts helped to pass a most pleasant evening. Mr. Direen was also farewelled by the local Sports Club, and made a presentation by the Excelsior Football Club, of which body he was a representative member.