The age-herald., 1901-03-18
TOUR UT IRELAND
 HAPPILY TAKEN Beautiful Words and Beautiful Views of Beautiful Land FATHER SHEEHY'S LECTURE Famous Priest of Limerick Charms a Great Audience by Illustrated Lecture on St. Patrick's Night.
 Hugh Mceeever's Eloquenee
FATHER SHEEHY'S LECTURE

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, and last night at the Jefferson Theatre a large and delighted audience made an in- tensely interesting word and picture tour of Ireland, through the medium of an il- lustrated lecture by Rev. Eugene Sheehy, the famous priest and former Land League leader of Limerick.
 Father Sheehy appeared under the aus pices of the Ancient Order of Hiber- Iians, to which. in the courst of his r. marks, he paid an earnest and eloquent tribute, saying that centuries ago this illustrious order constituted the body guard of the priests who performed their sacred duties in concealment and at the constant peril of their lives.
 The learned and distinguished priest was introduced to his audience by Hugh McGeever chief Hibernian and member of the Jefferson County board of revenue, who himself made a beautiful and nov ing speech, dwelling with fervor upon the unexampled history of the Irish priesthood saying that In all times, in days of trial and times of happiness alike. the priests had been the devoted leaders and loving fathers of the Irish people.
 MT. McGeever was loudly cheered, and Father Sheehy was received with intense enthusiasm by the hundreds of men and women present.
 The lecturer proceeded to deal with the Irish question and situation in general, saying that the time was not far off when Ireland would come by its own in human ri- a,H Ia dAr1o rod a England stood tottering on the brink of an awful abyss. The final blow was de- scending upon that country, and 1t was coming through commercial and financial downfall. Commercially, industrially and financially America had England by the throat in the great strife for the world s business. England was doomed In the unequal combat, and the time was swiftly coming when that island of the sea would be unable to feed its 36,000,000 of people. John Bull had never denied himself in food or drink but he must soon face the vital issue of bread for the millions. Ire land had no love for England, could have no good wishes.
 When the picture of Trinity College, Dublin, was thrown on the screen at the rear of the stage, Father Sheehy said that the college was founded and endowed three hundred years before for the Pro- testant young men of Ireland, represent ing one-tenth of the Irish populaaiop, and so for three centuries nine-tenths of tn; young men of the country had been de nied | higher education.
 When the picture of St. Patrick's Ca theddal was displayed, Father Sheehy re- minded his audience of the fact that the | cathedral was built by Catholics foI | Catholics, but centuries ago it had beer
 Appropriated by the English; and he showed pictures of various other magni- | ficent church buildings of Ireland built by Catholics, for Catholics, which had beer
 appropriated" by the English to mere handful of Protestants. And showing a few of the splendid new churches built by
 Catholics, including the. magnificent St
 Colman's Cathedral, Queenstown, he said
 that was what the Irish people were do ing to make up for the loss of the "ap- | propriated' churches.
 l The stereopticon used to present Father Sheehy's pictures was very powerful, and by liidl ht lOOh HIS duultnCe, | through Dublin, and then through all the counties, from the North on down South | to the harbor front of Queenstown
 whence sail more than nine- -tenths oi
 Irish immigrants to America. There were
 seemingly hundreds of pictures of the most
 famous buildings and natural scenery oi
 Ireland, and throughout the rapid shifting | of UiauS no
 lecture.
 The first of Father Sheehy's pictures | it is needful to record, was noble rep resentation of the American flag, and hs spoke to it with wonderful and burning eloluence as keeping and protecting un. der its glorious folds so many millions | of his countrymen.
 There was at one time short delay ir displaying the views on the immense screen, and there being no music, Father
 Sheehy took occasion to say that he had l learned that a law of Birmingham kept theatres closed on Sundays He had met with similar difficulties in Mobile and Montgomery. But, accompanied by MT l Hugh MeGeever, he called upon Mayor Drennen and explained to him the ma | ture of his lecture, assuring him that it was to be given for the purpose of rais- 1 ing fund to build church in the coun- | ty Limerick, and that he would gladly undertake to have no songs, no music of any kind, if he were permitted to lec- ture in the Jefferson Theatre. Mayor Drennen, after considering the character of the proposed entertainment, gave his consent very kindly for which Father Sheehy was most grateful. He referred | in charming words to the Mayor and | people of Birmingham
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