The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-14 00:00:00

A NOBLE IRISH LANDLORD.

On Thursday last, in the hamlet of Sneem, county
Kerry (says a weekly contemporary), on the north
side of the mouth of Kenmare Bay, amid scenery
of surpassing grandeur, the Earl of Dunraven laid
the foundation-stone of a new Catholic church, the
site of which was presented, rent free, to the
parishioners, by the liberal Protestant landlord,
Mr. Bland. Lord Dunraven purchased the site for
a fishing lodge there, some few years since, and the
following incidents in his lordship's address, on the
occasion of the ceremony last week, aro highly cre-
ditable both to himself, as a pious and devoted
Catholic, and also to the liberal Protestant land-
lord. The Cork Examiner reports his lordship to
have said :
" I well remember the day when I first came here

to Mass. Immediately that I saw the place in which
the Holy Sacrifice was performed, I said to myself,
How strange it is that I should go build for my-
self a residence, and surround myself with every
comfort and ornament which it is in the power of a
gentleman to procure, while the church of the
parish—the house in which the mysteries of God's
Church are celebrated—is left desolate and in ruin.'
From that moment I determined, if it pleased God
to spare me my life, that t would contribute, as far
as lay in my power, to the building of an edifice in
which the people of the parish would be able to
worship God without being exposed to the incle-
mency of the weather, and in which the Holy Sacri-
fice could properly and with due solemnity be per-
formed. I have been able to do that. I have seen
the work happily inaugurated to-day, and I assure
yon that it affords me the moat sincere gratification.
Amongst the many things which I have to rejoice at
to-day, there is one which gives me the most pro-
found satisfaction, and I shall not lose this oppor-
tunity of mentioning it. I mean the noble conduct
of your landlord, Mr. Bland, in giving us the ground
for the church. When I asked him if he would give
a lease for ever of the old site, as we were going to
build a new church, his reply was—'Certainly, I
will.' I then said—' Will you give us some more
of the ground surrounding the building, as we wish
to plant it and make it ornamental ? ' He again
readily responded that he would, and said, Come
down and point out what you want. This is a mat-
ter which I will leave entirely to yourself.' I came
down with him ; we went over the place, and then
he went away leaving me to mark out as much land
as I might consider necessary. ' I leave you,' he
said, 'to fix the boundaries yourself; take as much
as ever you want.' When next I met him I asked
him about the rent—what rent he would require.
What ? ' said he, do you suppose that I am going
to take a rent for this land ? No ; whatever ex-
tent you want, it must be a free gift from me to the
parish.' I only -wish every landlord in Ireland would
take an example of liberality from Mr. Bland. I can
assure you that, poor as this parish is, there are
many parishes in Ireland which would bo glad to
exchange landlords, for it is not everywhere you
meet with the like of him. I have known Mr. Bland
for many years, and I am happy to say that my
relations with him have always been those of the
warmest friendship; and so they will always be,
because I believe him to that which it is by no
means a common thing to meet with in these days
—a just, honourable, and liberal-hearted man."