The Irish standard., 1889-08-03
the VERY REV. CANON DOYLE
The Parish Priest Of Ramsgrange
Fighting For Justice
Since 1852.
A SELF SACRIFICING PRIEST.
What He Has Done For tie Cause of
Ireland for Ihirty-seven
Years.

Ireland Tor Ihlrty-se
Years.
Father Doyle first appeared in public
life under the overmastering sense of
moral duty-namely, to check the de-
morallZing influences of intemperance
during the Parliamentary election con"
test between Mr.. Kelly and Mr.. Tai
bot in the summer of lS47. 1t was
represented to Father DOYLE that Mr..
Kelly had given an order for al ''open
house" in the Irishtown. the result be-
ing excessive drinking, fighting and the
exhibition of such scenes as were q
scandal to religion. Upon the earnest
solicitation Of member Of the Fran
ciscan Order, Father DOYLE, who was
ever reluctant to appear IN public, came
forward TO denounce the candidate who
had employed such vicious means OF
winning the support OF the working
classes. The result was the defeat OF
Kelly and the election Of his rival. 1t
was not, however, until 1852, when the
country was just recovering from the
prostration of the rising under Smith
O'Brien, that Father Doyle became a
noticeable figure in Irish politics.
Frederick Lucas, Charles Gavan Duffy
and brilliant band Of men whose
names are familiar to The Irish public,
were once again about to make a rally
for Ireland under the banner of inde-
pendent opposition. Three candidates
sought the sutTrages Of the electors OF
New Ross viz, Sir Thomas Redding-
ton. who had been Under Secretary at
the Castle during the Clarendon Vice.
royalty; Henry Lambert, Of Corragh,
an able and accomplished Tory; and
Charles Gavan Daffy, of The Nation.
Up to that date political parties in
Ross had been divided into Repealers,
Repeal Wings and Tories. Th9 Young
Ireland movement had, no doubt, many
earnest adherents amongst the trades
men and working classes of the town,
but few of those exercised the fran
chise. Duffy's advent was hailed with
great popular acclaim, but on the other
hand was met by the Repeal Wings
amongst the electorate with various
parrot cries Of the period. The parish
priest of New Ross. Rev James Walsh,
a simple hearted, atfectionate old man,
unused to the rules of Whiggery, COM
mitted himself to the interests of the
Castle candidate. He denounced Duffv
from the altar as one who was intended
neither by God nor nature to represent
a Catholic constituency. Mr.. Duffy ar
rived In Ross one Sunday evening in
March, 80, and then commenced one
of the fercest election contests, and the
most memorable, since the r-famous
Glare election. It continued from
March to July. Meetings were held
nightly. The electors and the populace
were addressed on behalf of MIR. Duffy
from the platform or the windows Of
the committee room bg such an array
of powerful and eloquent speakers as
seldom appeared on public platforms
John Francis Mcguire and Denis
.leyne, from Cork; George Henry
Moore, from his Western home; Sir
John, then Or. Gray, from Dublin;
Joseph Kenealy, from Kilkenny; Pat
rick NJ 'Mahon, Father Tom O'Shea and
Father Mat O'Keefe, the famous Cal
lan curates, with a bost of laics and
clerics less distinguished from the
neighboring counties, hastened to New
Ross as to conflict which was to decide
the fate of Ireland-whether the poor
old land, bound and bleeding as she
lay, was to become an appanage OF the
Wings, fresh from their bloody and
brutal work, or, though still in her
agony, to once more assert her indie
pendepce. 1t is now matter Of history
that Father Tom DOYLE espoused the
cause of Charles Gavan Duffy and Ire
land, and amongst the brilliant chiefs
of an eloquent band no voice was
mightier than his. The effect of his
eloquence was electric, his denunci-
atlons of Whiggery smote truly like the
clash of spears. The State aided
famine Of AZ, the Ecclesiastical Titles
Act, the intrigues of Mimic in Rome,
the meanness and cruelties of Claren.
don, the Hypocrisy, rottenness and
brutalities of WhlggerY were passed in
review before the popular mind day
after day in eloquence so fervid, so
VIVID. 80 touching, by the hitherto un-
known Young curate, as to elevate the
souls OF the electors above every CON
slderation but one-to strike one
mighty blow for dear old Ireland. All
the corrupting resources of the Castle
were Iequisitioned to forward the in
terests Of the government candidate,