The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-02-04

must, that the condition of Ireland was
sad in the extreme,yet it was no worse
than that OF many other countries. We
find, In the"Apnals Of the -Four Masters" :"
that there WAS such continual repeti-
zion of assaults, murders and assassna-
tions as to give the idea that scarcely a
man in Ireland died natural death at
this period Yet it was no worse than
the state of England during the Hept
archy, or, later, during the "Wars IF the
Roses" not worse than that OF France, or
that OF Germany in the Thirty Years.
War;" but the condition OF Ireland was
bad enough, the Lord knows.
In the midst OF this strife and blood
she'd, St Lawrence O'Toole was called to
assume the authority of Archbishop of
Dublin, and found himself in the centre
Of all the national politics and social life
Of his time. His first effort, after becona-
ing Archbishop, was to get The princes
and chieftains of Erin to unite for their
common country and common cause.
He labored at this continually, but his
success was only partial. The recogni-
tion of Roderick O'Connor as Ard Righ
seemed to end the struggle for the SOW
ereignty, but the others still kept up
their feuds. This was the state of things
when Diarmuid McMurrough profaned
the home OF tho Prince Of Breffni, and
kindled the fame that was to destroy
Ireland. Hs carried off the wife of
O'RoHrke; all Ireland, in indignation at
his pertidy, waged war upon McMur-
rough, and banished him from the king
dom. McMurrough, to avenge himself,
induced Strongbow, Earl Of Pembroke,
to invade ireland. The invitation was
willingly accepted, and they landed in
Wexford. in 1859. Dairmuid McMur-
rough, tho Judas of his country, gave
his daughter IN marriage to Strongbow.
and made him his heir. Strongbow as
serted his right to the throne Of Leinster,
seized Ossory, and advanced towards
Dublin. 1t was then that St. Lawrence
O'Toole sought to implant in the other
Irish kings national spirit, and tried to
rally thesIrish forces to make q bold do
Tense for his primatial city against the
Anglo Normsns. In this his success was
not complete. There was too much dis
union, too much want OF cohesion, too
little sense CT organization among the
clansmen, to meet an enemy so we'll COM
manded and led as were the Norman
hosts. Strongbow captured Dublin, and
went to work to butcher It's inhabitants.
Then st.. Lawrence O'Toole came out,
cross in hand, and by his power and his
presence stopped the ruthless hands of
Strongbow and his soldiers, and saved q
portion, at least, Of his flock from de-
struction. Though Dublin was cap
tured. and bis own Cathedral Church
was in the hands OF The invaders, the
Archbishop was not discouraged. He
made every effort to bring the warning
chieftains to peace, and to induce them
to recognize that they had common
cause and common country to fight for
and through his exertions another Irish
army was raised, and advanced to recap
ture Dublin. The Norman hosts ad
vanced to meet them. Here again su
perior discipline won, and the Norman
armies finally got possession of the east
coast of Ireland. Henceforth st. Law.
renee O'Toole could do nothing, except
to make appeals to Strongbow for his
suffering people. Little heed was paid
to the Archbishop's remonstrances; and
he finally decided that he must bring
their case before the King of England
He went to England on mission ol
peace, hoping to extract come conces.
sions for the people. Henry H., who
was on the throne, and who had insti
gated the murder of Thomas a'Beckett
was not likely to give kind reception to
the Irish Bishop. He received him with
coldness and disdain and refused to make
any concessions to the Irish people
This mission nearly proved fatal. We
are told that st. Lawrence OToole was
ascending the steps of the altar to cele-
brate Mass, at the shrine of st. Thomas,
when ruf1ian struck him fearful blow
and fellel him to the ground. It was this
incident, no doubt, that made the can
nails of the -Four Masters" make the
statement that st. Lawrence was q
martyr.
After his return from this mission to
England, he was summoned to Rome, to
take part in the General Council OF
Lateran. The Irish Archbishop by his
learning, wisdom and devotion, won the
admiration Of the Prelatee, and of the
Pope himself, who took him into his con
fdence and showed him every expression
of his regard and sympathy. On his re.
turn from Rome, after long absence
st. Lawrence found his people in all the
miseries that were entailed by state Of
war and famine. He sold everything in
L y. II. - "a ~