The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-07-16
FIR. sHEEHY AT THE LYcEUm.
Descriptive Lecture On Ireland nv the
Irish Priest

Irish Priest.
ReV. Eugene Shelby, the patriotic
| priest from Limerick, will deliver an ill.,
! lustrated lecture on the Emerald Isle at
the Lyceum theater in this city on Fri
DAY evening, July %. exhibiting over $50
stereoptlcon views of the most beautiful
| scenery and most famous historical
structures in Ireland. Father Sheehy is
| making tour of the United States TO
raise funds for the erection of q new
church in the parish OF Bruree county
Limerick, and he has met With great
success among his countrymen who have
read OF the sacrifices he made and the
Imprisonment he endured for love OF
country i'll the days Of the Irish land
league, inansurated by Michael Davilt
anu conducted SO energetically by the
united Natlonalists under The leadership
OF Charles Stewart Parncll. A few words
about Father sheehy at this time may
prove interesting to the readers of The
F. IRISH Standard. He is comparatively
young man, hale and vigorous in ap-
pearance, yet he has had quite an
, eventful career, in which The character
of the sterling patriot is not less vivid
| ly marked than that Of the devoted
Irish "Soggarth Aroon"
In the days Of severe trial for Ire
F.! land and it's people, when the govern
ment response to Parnells demand for
! justice was the baton and the handcuft
! in the days ere yet the Grand Old
| Man and the Red Earl (Spencer) had
seen the wisdom of corcedng home
rule, Father Sheehy was one of The
F.! closest counselors and one of the ablest
| lieutenants the Irish leader had. In
| tho ranks Of the Irish priesthood there
and gained undying popular esteem by
their courageous championship of the
peoples rights, but Father Shcchy
easily distanced all the men of his
! cloth by his absolute devotedness to
! the cause Of the victims of landlord
rapacity and by the reckless disregard
! OF consequences with which he in
Weighed against the landlord combina-
| ton, and hurled denunciation and de-
! fiance at their covert abettors, the gov
! eminent representatives and agents in
| Ireland. For his activity and zeal in
| the public cause he was early marked
out victim, and in company with Mr..
| Parnel and others enjoyed the watch
full care of her majestys iailors for
over nine months in the bastics of
Mas and Kilmainham, in 1881.
Father Sheehy comes of good patri
cite stock, and appears to have been
| himself imbued with patriotic senti-
nlents from his earliest years. In the
days Of the Fenian insurrection under
James Stephens, John O'Leary and
others, he and his brother David, now
member of parliament for county Gal
way. We're clerical students in Paris
France. They appear to have been in
close touch with the revolutionary
movement, for David suddenly left
work may present itself in those stir
| ring and anxious times, while Eugene,
who was dssuadcd By some of mis-
college mates from going. took up a
! generous subscription from among the
students and sent it to the leaders
in Dublin.
In the course of the land league
movement under Parneil the ability
and influence of Father Sheehy were
frequently recognized, and he was
often sent OH important delegations at
the express request of Mr. Parnell and
was selected in conjunction with John
Dillon and Matt Harris, of Ballnasloe
to go to Paris to audit the books Of
Patrick Egan, the land league treas
urer when the latter was about to
| leave there for the United States.
| He was a delegate 10 the great con-
vention held in Chicago. in 1881. and
his speech thereat was admittedly a
most powerful stimulus in closing up
the ranks of the Irish organization in
| this country in support of the Parnell
movement. He has attended no less
| tIlul a. l0uOLeI olucl COLI
ferences in this country as special
| Irish envoy, and his presence was al
ways hailed with delight as tending 70
tho unification of diverse elements
and to encourage and fortify the hopes
OF the united whole.
| The present mission of the reverend
gentleman is a worthy one--to raise
funds for the erection of his new par
ish church at Bruree, county Liner
| ick, Ireland. He does not solicit, nor
will he accept a donation, but depends
on the proceeds of his lecture and cx-
| hibition to raise sufficient funds to
complete the modest structure he as
pres to rear on the site of the present
worn out building. He has appeared
in many cities in the East, and the
press reports of his meetings are ex-
tremely fattering. his exhibits being
characterized as far superior to any such
heretofore shown in this country.
The views exhibited are representative
of every section of Ireland. and have
been selected with the greatest care, and it
is said by those competent to judge that