The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-27 00:00:00

IRISH CHUB. MISSIONS.

. •
A special Meeting of this society took place on Friday,
at twelve o'clock, in Eketet-hall, for the purpose of re-
ceiving information kora a deputation who had recently
visited the missionary stations in the west of Ireland, and
who were present last month at the confirmation tour of
the Lord Bishop of Tuam, when 401 converts from Po-
pel'y were eliatechumens. The large room was densely
crowded, a considerable number of ladies being present.

The DUKE of MANCHESTER took the chair, at twelve
o'clock, and (prayer having been offered) called upon
The Rev. A. DALLAS. one of the secretaries of the
society, who proceeded, in an address which occupied an
hour and a half, to give an account of the facts connected
with the missions in Ireland, and of the results witnessed
by him on his recent visit to that country. About three
years ago, lie said, things happened which gave reason to
believe there was a change pending in the minds of the
Rornanists. He would not enter into any detail respect-
ing those occurrences, but it was enough to say it became
necessary to test the existence of that change. Having
taken into consideration the lynx-eyed jealousy with
which the Jesuits regarded every movement of the Pro-
tee

stants, and having seen how the injudicious openness o,
many of their first tflorts had blasted and marred them,
it was resolved, through the influence, and by the means
of one individual principally, that, without any public
meeting, the society should send forth, privately and

„...ve them—a number of agents, selected with great
care, to ascertain the real state of mind of the Irish
Itornanists. The result of their inquiry was, that a large
number of them were weaned from their habitual super-

stitions, an►d rejected what they had been accustomed to
believe in the mass; so that they were, by the hand of
God, brought into a fair way of preparation for receiving
the gospel. The spot chosen for the labours of the

oci,ty, acting on the

lrts, wal the exfreme west of

3,illwary, the place where

is of Popery

)ded over tl

one year the mission Mad

pr.:aching:while their chap 1s were dc
the Christmas of 1847, the Bishop of Tuam, on an appli-
cation made to him by the society, ordained I\l4.

Soon at t t.r

O'Callaghan, who had beeii educat

tleman commenced his care

was a area

was a cry forr the

:ospel through the mountains of Conne-

fltlernen wer

Three oft

mara. (Hear, heat
&tined by the bishop, who, in order to s
the truth of the reports he heard, sent 1:

y himself of

nus missions, who retnrned with

Lost satisfactory

statement, having found 1700 Roman Catholics listening
and crying out for the gospel in the diocese. (Cheers.)
At last the bishop gave notice he would proceed through
the several parishes and confirm persons duly certified by
the clergy ; and he (Mr. Dallas) and the Rev. Mr.
Wilkinson attended to witness what took place on the

recounted the particulars of the confirmation, which took
place at Ouchterade Castle-church, Clifden, and a small
village in the neighbourhood—how it rained with great
copiousness and blew very violently—how wild the
mountains were—how hard it was to cross Lough
Corrib—how the Bishop bad to come round the lough