IRELAND AND FRANCE

New Zealand Tablet, 1 July 1915, Page 13

IRELAND AND FRANCE

, In their address to M. Poincare, President of the French Republic, the deputation representing the Irish Parliamentary Party, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and other Irish bodies, fittingly reminded him of the historic ties that have bound the Irish, one of the branches of the Celtic race, with France, always regarded by them as the greatest of the Celtic countries (says a writer in the Catholic Times). Appropriately, too, was an address presented on the occasion to Cardinel Amette, Archbishop of Paris, for in the past relations between France and Ireland, the friendliness that prevailed was due as much to the action of the Church as of the State. In days when Irishmen had to fight not only for their nationality but also for their faith, France was hospitable and helpful to them. Kindness and generosity were displayed towards Irish exiles. The Lombard College, Paris, at the instance of two Irish ecclesiastics holding positions of influence and well known at the French Courtthe Rev. Dr. Maginn and the Rev. Dr. Kelly—was handed over to Irish students, and to-day the good work then inaugurated is carried on at the Irish College in the Rue des Irlandais. In 1870 the college was honored by a visit from A Distinguished Descendant of an Irish soldier of fortune, Marshal McMahon, Governor of Algiers, who subsequently became a predecessor of M. Poincare in the office of President of the Republic. During the German invasion in that year the college was used as a hospital for wounded French soldiers, and the late Father McNamara, the President, organised a relief fund on their behalf and himself conveyed seven thousand francs for that purpose to the Abb© Lacroix, the official administrator. Colleges for Irish students were also established at Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes, Poitiers, Douai, and Lille, and in their hour of need the Irishmen, received from the French not only material assistance, but, what was not less valuable," warm sympathy. As the address to M. Poincare says France gave them a welcome worthy of her greatness, her spirit and her goodness of heart/ And Ireland can proudly feel that she was not ungrateful. Her gratitude was poured forth in the streams of blood shed by her children to uphold the flag of France. It would be a long record were all that Irish soldiers did for France fully recounted If the name of France is associated with the most glorious victories achieved on the battlefields of Europe, it is certain that the French armies never contained a finer element for brilliant warfare than ' . The Wild Geese ' that a hard fate at home sent to their ranks. From calculations and researches that have been made at the War Office,’ writes the’ Abbe McGeoghegan in his History of Ireland , it has been ascertained that from the arrival of the Irish troops in France in 1691 to 1745, the year of the battle of Fontenoy ’ —that is in fifty-four years more than four hundred and fifty thousand Irishmen died in the service of France.’ The Dillons, Burkes, O’Neills, O’Donnells, Maguires, McMahons,

Magxnneses;- and O’Reillys • displayed - not - only personal : valor but uncommon strategic skill. ' ‘ f - i‘ : Sarsfield held high command when he was' mortally wounded at Landen, and .in many of |€hefchief battles £ of the period France felt confident of ' the r bravery of -y----the Irish troops,supporting her cause. One of the most remarkable pages in military annals is that which tells of the defence of Cremona against the Austrians by : Mahony in command of six hundred Irish, the regiments / of Dillon and Burke. Villeroy, who held the town ■ with a garrison of seven ■ thousand men, was taken /, prisoner by Prince Eugene, and all hope was'abandoned by the defenders, but the.six hundred Irish held their*, ground and forced Prince Eugene to retire with the loss of two thousand men. „ ' ~ -I

. Catholic Ireland, so many of whose sons died for France in the past, has never ceased to take a keen interest in the affairs of the French people.ln recent times she has been grieved to see that the French Government has not shown a true appreciation of religious liberty or that respect and veneration towards the Holy Father which the French authorities formerly paid him so willingly. But she notes with deep satisfaction that since - the war began the French nation has been undergoing a change and resuming the old attitude towards religious belief and traditions.