Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-03
Such Festivals Too Often Bring Up
Old Scores Which Are Not Liked.
STATISTICS ON IRISH LANGUAGE
Society for Its Preservation Issues a
Report.
PROFESSORS FOR THE COLLEGES
Are Not uowed tn Pre-
tent students for Fees Earlier
Than the Third standard
at Present.
BY THOMAS EMMETT

DUBLIN. April Especial to the Pub
fishers Press The suggestion made by
Cardinal Moran that St. Patrick's day be
celebrated through the world as Ireland's
empire day has met with a hearty response
here. and already steps have been taken 10
make next years celebration partake Of
this character not only here but where
ever Irishmen may be found. and where
on the habitable globe are loyal sons OF
Erin not to be found? The Freeman's Jour
nal fairly expresses Irish opinion when in
commenting on the suggestion says:
We don't. as a rule, ike empire day
they are always. or very nearly always,
like all other festivals Of empire, asso-
ciated with robberies, confiscations brutal
wars. and cowardly bullyings. For empire
and bloodshed and spoliation are INSOFAR
ably related. A nobIeman for some years
past has been trying to found a British
empire day. What a CHASTITY festival it
would be were it kept with appropriate
ceremonial
Cardinals Idea Good.
But we like the good Irish cardinals
idea, for empire in the sense and associa-
ton with which he used has a great a
glorious. a noble meaning. For on 81.
Patrick's day surely and truly In every
part of this terrestrial sphere, in every
nook and Granny where civilization has
penetrated. men, women and children OF the
Irish race hold high and holy festival and
unfaltertng. uneonquersble devotion to
faith and fatherland. Year by year on St
Patrick's day a great chain Of brother
hood is stretched round the world. hands
are reached out across the sea, messages
OF love and fidelity are waited from al
the points Of the compass to the little
green isle sparkling here in the Irish sea.
Surely st Patrick's day is the empire day
OF I~reland-the day when the world spread
children OF the Gael unite and renew allie
glance to the old land. There is not a
cline in which the day is not held sacred,
a day which patriotism and creed unite
to keep sacred"
The pyramid or shaft, which il 70 stand
! behind St. Gaudens' great statue Of Parnsl
in O'Connell street, Dublin, is going up
| slowly. II is now well above the surround
ing boarding, but it has a long way to travel
up before it will be ready for the sculptor's
masterpiece. There is comparatively little
money required to finish the
and it is not too creditable that it is com
ng in so slowly. Dublin has, Of course, a
! cry particular interest in the monument,
: .or, when completed, 1t will be one Of its
finest municipal treasures.
! LOking for Heirs.
After a lapse Of eighteen months and
many f~ruitless inquiries, a final effort is
being made to discover the heirs Of a
former county Armagh man named Patrick
McGurk. over fifty years ago McGurk
emigrated to California and died in the state
about two years ago, leaving a fortune
OF S3OC.OO The Belgian consul at Belfast.
Mr.. James Heyn, is in charge Of the es-
tate.
The Society for the Preservation OF the
Irish Language has just issued its report
for 1909, which contains much information
that is both useful and instructive, and
statistics are supplied relating TO the Irish
language at the present time. With ref
erence to Irish in the national schools. II
appears that the language is laugh in
1851, and that the national board made
payment in respect OF Irish for S,E4 pu-
pills. as compared with 3.97 in 1908. The
report mentions that there are still many
drawbacks to the progress OF Irish IN ma
tlonal schools. one Of which is, that teach
ers are not allowed to present pupils for
fees earlier than the third standard. An
effort is TO be made TO allow the present
children for examination in Irish in the
first and second standards, ana TO have
professors Of Irish appointed in all the
training colleges.