The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-11-14

hunting and feasting He showed his
versatility still further when he took
part in the exceedingly graceful four
| hand reel.
Miss Halpin of Limerick is another
versatile artistic. On the violin she
played that fine old tune of "old, un-
happy, far-off things, Dear Irish Boy"
which must have been what Words
worth heard from the lips of the High
land maiden, and then, in the Irish
fashion, she suddenly turned to that
greatest of war-tunes, named after
her native city, "GarryoWen," q
tune of which Phil Sheridan said that
it made Irish soldiers invincible.
Later, Miss eastman sang Eileen
Aroon," which Handel would rather
have composed than his own great
Messiah"
Then came the Irish dancing. Miss
Nellie O'Brien pointed out it's dis
tinctive features of grace, dignity,
modesty and healthful vigor. Nothing
here that will ever be condemned by
the defenders of the elementary decen-
cies of life. Here we have an object
lesson in the Irish combination of
love OF sport and athletic exercise,
with instructive reverence for the per-
son and the human body which is the
temple Of God, the companion and the
dwelling of an immortal soul. The
revival of those old dances, as Miss
O'Brien pointed out, is bound to do
good in many important ways. Miss
O'Brien, Miss Halpin, Messrs Clarke
and MacDonagh gave exhibitions of
the different kinds of steps, iigs, reels,
hornpipes, planxties, etc. There was
a real Irish piper, all the way from
Minneapolis, and nothing would please
him or Mr.. O'Brien but that he should
wind up the proceedings with "The
Star-Spangled Banner" on the pipes.
Mr.. O'Sullivan of ST. Paul contributed
the violin music for the dancers. Miss
O'Brien announced, at the end of the
proceedings, that there is in existence
a Gaelic Alliance, extending over
North and South America, the object
of which is to give all needed assist
ance and encouragement to the re-
vival movement in ireland. 1t has a
large membership already and several
new members have been recruited in
st. Paul.
The audience was large and dis
tinguished one The Most Reverend
Archbishop, the Right Reverend Bish-
op Lawler, many Of the Catholic
clergy, and prominent men in the pro-
fessional and commercial life of st.
Paul were present and took a keen
interest in the proceedings. Perhaps
the most interesting and the most in
terested spectator was the old lady
who had been present at the trial of
Miss O'Brien's grandfather, William
Smith O'Brien, in the year 184S, when
he was condemned to die for the crime
of patriotism. There were many 9TH
ers in the audience upon whom the
old music and the music of the old
language acted as a potent spell to
evoke sad or tender memories of the
old land; and on more than one cheek
there was quiet tear, while on the
other hand many an eye sparkled and
flashed as the words and the tones Of
hope were heard. The Gaelic ENJOYS
found that st. Paul can provide an
audience to which Ireland is not
strange and which gladly welcomes
every message from the old land. To
one and all, to the ST. Paul Institute
in the first place, which had the credit
Of bringing them here, Miss OBrien,
Mr.. MacCollum and their helpers feel
that they owe debt Of gratitude for
the splendid success of their visit.