The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-04 00:00:00

AN ADDRESS BY FATHER LAVELLE.

Several Trish papers furnieh a glowing description
of the rinniem inaso celebrated at Cove, county
Galway, the parish of the famous " Nationaliet," the
Rev. Patrick Lavelle, P. P., "itt me y of the Man-
chester martyrs." The peasantry gathered from many
miles round, and "very single person wore a black
or green mourning bad:e." Tho abbey in which the
ceremony took place contains the grave of lb-Aerie
O'Connor, the last Irish monarch. Three large eropies
wer'r erected in it, one for each "martyr,' and all
draped in black. Eight priests took part in the
sere ice.
Father Lordly, whiressing the congregation from the altar
In Irish, said they had prayed with an hundredfold In pe
that the Innocent blood of the executed nice, with that of
au many {devious Irish mar yr. Mahone, priests, men,
women, and children, might be the seed of Chriatutn patriots
destmed at no distant day to red.om an • noavell { cope,
and to form and OnollnildnlP a pr. Pi crone alPi a happy, be-
cause an indepew.erd nation. Knee ling over the bones of
the brave Roderic Cei minor, the last to yield to an inex-
orable necessity. and under the sources of the sainted
patriarc of the Inch prie,thoml, the very rev. dean if the
diore.e, and In olden 5 ith their br.titren, priests and people,
thr.ourinnt Ireland, they wow Id join in fervent prayer for the
Whims of the three young pal riots. Subliniely I hri*t i in was t he
death and the pi miaration of those brave men who wonld
Inc ;um ter brie saltily, branded as murderer& co, brethren
(added Father these men were not murderer.;
Ste I her were they executed an murderer Their emis re-
coiled from murder. They were martyrs to a saeroj cause—
the great and tintlying cause cherished by every Irish bosom
trim, the ri.i nit to the setting of the eon—of their country's
resorre :lion." Ile het:eyed that the great bulk 14 the Irish
ipeopie would accept any pat tial and inadequate concession
its a part Infinitesimal of the great Indestructible right of
borne rule by home rulers. Let them (he continued, be

candid. They had assembled that day, not only t
Divine mercy for the Coals of the martyred, but to "make
public and solemn profession of that saving faith by which
alone Ireland can Ite rescued from civil, social, and political
final damnation." For 7to years their lovely country had '
been a prey to the despoiler. They heard a great deal &molt
plehiscftes in Italy and other countries, why not grant the
Irish people the benefit of such an experiment t Let it NY
granted tomorrow and he pledged himself that nine out of
every ten of the Irish people would be for free independent
native Tie. Ireland was placed in " a fearful, inextricable,
alternative dilemma, of falllng into the hands of English
law, whatever course she bib" O'Connell in his time, and
John Martin the other day, had asked repeal constitutmnally,
anti the one got Richmond Penitentiary, and the other a
State indictment. °lf Ireland secretly conspires she is said
to be threatened, to be cursed. 8114 i then sent to Pentonville,
on the exploded assumption OA all conspiracy is a Oh."
Of the true hearted MOll who expiated thetr love of country
on the gallows, he would say, God rest their souls ; God
save Ireland ! Amen t"