IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 10 April 1919, Page 39

IRISH NEWS

5 GENERAL. Irish newspapers may now be sent to America or the colonies otherwise than through the publisher. Hunting is being stopped everywhere in Ireland pending the release of the untried prisoners in English gaols. . Father Grotty, 0.P., chaplain to the Irish prisoners of . war in Germany, says Sir Roger Casement’s Irish brigade of 50 or 52 men consisted partly of English and Scotch soldiers. Mr. John McKee, solicitor, Belfast, acting on behalf of Major Darcy, Home Rule candidate for the Duxxcairn division of Belfast, has issued a writ against Sir Edward Carson, for slander. The Labor Leader says: “There is no doubt that Sinn Fein, though it may not be able to set up an effective government of its own, can certainly prevent the British Government from carrying on.” The Irish papers of January 18 state that John Gallagher, of Balt.inglass, was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude by court martial. The offence was that he had in his possession a document, which “might be useful to the enemy.” ■ The freedom of the cities of Dublin and Cork has been unanimously conferred on President Wilson. The Lord Mayor of Dublin expressed the opinion that it was extremely improbable the President would at present come to Ireland to sign the roll of freemen. The _ Dad Xeir special correspondent in Ireland states that the Lord Lieutenant. Viscount French, is a Home Ruler with no sympathy whatever for the Orange faction. lie thinks,' however, that Ireland should not get self-government till it “comes to its senses. Deep regret is fell in Tipperary at the news of the death, within a few days ot each other, from pneumonia following influenza, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Grood Jim., Colorado, of two sisters in blood and religion (Order of Charity), daughters of Mr. Patrick Heffernan, Crogue, County Tipperary. Both met their death whilst ministering to the sick during the influenza epidemic.

. CARDINAL MERCIER AND IRELAND. The great Belgian Cardinal has sent this message on Ireland to Cardinal Logue: . “It is inconceivable that Ireland’s right to selfdetermination and nationhood be not recognised by the free nations of the world at the Peace Conference. Your country, the most faithful and venerable daughter of the Church, deserves justice from all mankind, and must surely receive it, The Irish people are the oldest and purest nationality in Europe and their noble adherence to faith and nationality, the most glorious record in history.”

CATHAL BRUGHA, M.P. Mr. Cathal Brugha,' M.P. for' Waterford County, was arrested on January 3 at Thurles Railway Station. As lie was about to enter the train for Dublin, Constable S. Barrett asked him his name. “Brugha,” was the answer. ‘ ‘What is your Christian name ? ’ ’ then asked the. policeman, and Mr. Brugha replied “Cathal.” “Is that Irish?” was the policeman’s next question, and the answer being “Yes,” the policeman said: “Unless you give me your name in plain English I must detain you.” Mr. Brugha laughed and said he knew not what to reply to such a statement, and Mr. J. M. Kennedy, who, with Mr. Butler, accompanied him, pointed out that the Sheriff, who was a law officer, had accepted the name “Cathal Brugha” for all legal forms in connection with the election, and what was good enough for the Sheriff should satisfy the police. Mr, Brugha, however, was arrested and taken to the police barracks, where ho was searched, a receipt

for £l5O election deposit “from Cathal Brugha,” signed by H.M. Sheriff for County Waterford being found on him. Mr. Brugha, who is the first of the. Sinn Fein Ms.P. to be arrested since the election, was out in the rising, in which he was badly injured, receiving 14 wounds as the result of grenade explosions. Subsequently he was a prisoner for a year in Dublin Castle Hospital, and he has not yet fully recovered, still walking with a halt. He is a fluent Irish speaker; his election address was in Irish, his meetings were usually addressed in Irish, and he was universally known as Cathal Brugha. His majority was 8688.

IRELAND’S RIGHTS. The following is the, full text of the Irish petition which was presented to President Wilson during his visit to Manchester: “We, the Irish clergy, numbering 2000, and the Irish laity, to the number of 2,000,000 resident in Great Britain, respectfully appeal to you, who are the acknowledged arbiter of the world’s freedom to-day, and in whose hands under God we feel the future happiness of our couni lies, to secure that Ireland, which rightly regards herself, and has ever regarded herself, as. a nation, should be specially represented at the Peace Conference by delegates from her own people, in the hope that the sense of justice of all the Allies might thus be brought lo bear on her centuries-old problems, and bring about their own satisfactory solution. Wo further appeal to you so to use your unique influence that your own righteous principle of self-determination may be applied to Ireland and thus effect, not only hex* peace, but the peace of England as well.”

BISHOP OF LIMERICK’S APPEAL FOR RESTRAINT UNDER PROVOCATION. At a meeting held in Limerick, the Mayor (Councillor O Mara) presiding, for the purpose of protesting against the treatment of political prisoners, the following letter was read from Most Rev. Dr. Hallinan :—- “The meeting to.which I am invited, but at which 1 cannot be present, commands my full sympathy. It is, I am informed, to protest against the gross breach of the promise made by the Government in Ireland on the sad occasion of the death of Thomas Ashe, that in the future political prisoners in Ireland would be treated as such, and not be compelled to associate with ordinary criminals. This promise has, it appears, been flagrantly broken in the case of the prisoner, John Doran, now in Belfast Gaol, and this breach of promise has led to the present very serious state of affairs there. As you are aware, since I spoke my first words in public in favor of the Sinn Fein policy, I have more than once warned its followers to beware of two snaresnamely, armed rebellion and secret societies. Sinn Fein is .an open, clean, and legal movement springing from the very heart of the Irish nation, otherwise it would not have swept the country as it has in the elections just over. Now, deportations and continued imprisonment in British dungeons on a bogus charge without a trial or semblance of conviction of the leaders of that movement, and the degradation of more of them such as that of Mr. Doran in Belfast Gaol, are calculated to stir to their, very depths the feelings not only of Sinn Feiners, but of every right-minded person who loves justice and fair play. There is, I believe, a unison of feeling which is becoming every day more intense amongst the masses of the- Irish . people at this continued injustice ; and breach of faith of the British Government towards the political prisoners, which even their best advisers may find it hard to restrain. I fervently hope that such will not be the case, and that Sinn Fein, which has, during all these months, in the face of great provocation, displayed such common sense, self-control, and splendid discipline, will continue to be true to itself. At ‘the same time I take this opportunity of solemnly warning the Government that there are limits to the powers of human patience and endurance.”