The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-08-01
From Our own Correspondence
DUB IRISH LETTER,


DUBLIN, July 18th, 1875.
I would scarcely exaggerate if said that
hardly anything was talked of just now in
Dublin and the greater part OF the rest of Ire
land but the approaching celebration Of the
O'Connen Centenary. The Centenary Com
mittee meets almost daily, and at every meet
ing some interesting announcements is made to
the public Take the meeting of Tuesday.
The Lord Mayor, az think have already in
formed you, sent invitations to all the Catholic
Bishops Of Europe and America and to various
other persons Of distinction in foreign coun-
tries. Well, on Tuesday replies were received
from seven or eight prelates (including tho
Archbishop Of Quebec and the Bishop of Will
mington), from several members of the German
Reichstag, and from Prince Edward Radiswill,
Of Oshowo, Posen. Most of the writers said
they could not come to Dublin for various
reasons, and expressed their regret thereat;
the rest-namely, two German (Catholic) Depu-
ties, the BISHOP of Orleans, and the Polish
Prince-said they could and would. This gave
much sat;sfaction to the COMMITTEE and to the
general public, for although, as have said,
very many eminent foreigners were in vited COM
paratively few have complied with the invita-
ton. think 30 far only two foreign Bishops
namely, of Orleans and of Nantes-have
positively promised to attend the celebration.
If no persons came to us, however, from foreign
respectable display. Large deputations from
all the principal towns in the country have
already been appointed to attend on behalf of
those localities. Eight out of the eleven
Mayors will be present in their robes. Chair
-
representatives, will be here by the score.
need not say that the clergy will be well
represented. But the bodies which will make
the grsndeet display of all will be the Trades
Societies. Every trades society in the whole
country-down to the very smallest of them
has taken steps TO enable its members to ap
pear in the grand procession through Dublin
with new banners, emblems, and regslia. As
much as G300 has been spent by some of the
Trades Societies in providing banners and en-
blems. For this reason, it was determined on
Tuesday, in fixing the route of the procession,
to take as wide q circuit as possible and to
pass, as far as might be, through the best and
widest streets. At first it was intended to
have the rendezvous ct Kilmainhaen, in order
that the procession might pass Richmond
Prison, where O'Connell and his fellow. trav-
ersere Of "a were incarcerated; but this step
would necessitate journey of no less than
nine miles, and that would be too long. The
next idea was to have the rendezvous in
Stephens green (near the Mansion House,
that is, the residence of the Lord Mayor and
to have g journey of about Ave miles, not going
by Richmond Prison but passing by all the
other places with which O'Conneu had any
connection. This did not please the repre-
sentatives Of the Trades; they thought the
route too short. The third and final intention
was to go some seven miles altogether, enter
ing SRckville street not from the North but
from the West. Besides the desire to accede
to the wishes of the Trades, there was also q
desire in adopting this last route, to pass by
the Christian Brothers Schools in Richmond
Place which O'Connel founded. The pupils of
these schools collected in peRRisS hundred
pounds sterling for the O'Connell monument,
and this week they have handed in, through
the Superior brother Grace), Rfty pounds COL
lected in the sameway towards meeting the en-
penses Of the centenary celebration. The street
where the schools stand 10 very wide, and
there, accordingly, the boys band and various
other juvenile bands will take up positions on q
platform and play while the procession moves
past. And by the way, it is thought that, in
ALL there will be no less than one hundred
bands in the processiOD, playing the usual
patriotic airs, and also Professor Glover's new
"o'Connell March,. which is now being prac-
tised in hundred different places throughout
the four provinces. On the whole. such a dis
play as this procession will be, has never yet
been seen in Ireland; it will be magnificent
proof Of the rise of the Irish people from the
IL NJ ord fr,.k
tend to make the English colony OF garrison