The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-01-26

tiers SCllI preserve nelr VolClo
Names-The o'Briens, o'RourI<es
and Others of Enthusiastically Gaelic
Origin Still Survive in the Russian
Border country-John Field, Who
Rose to Distinction in Russia az a
Composer, Came From Dublin.
George Raffalovich, an Ukrainian
and an authority on the history of his
country, tells the readers of the New
York Sun that the names of O'Brien
and O'Rourke are still preserved
there. Speaking of the free institu-
tions of the Ukraine before the Gear
subjugated the country, he says:
MANY people would leave the sur
rounding countries and go to settle
in Ukraine. Such names preserved in
the Ukraine as O'Brien and O'Rourke
tend to prove that people came from
much farther to settle in the happy
land"
The Ukraine is the southwestern
portion of Russia. The founder Of
the O'Rourke family which Mr.. Raj
falovich informs us still exists, was
Count O'Rourke, born in Leitrim. He
became an officer in the English
army but had to give up his commits
sion on account of his religion. He
then went to France where he served
under Louis XIV. He got an introdue-
tion to Stanislaus, King Of Poland,
and resigned his commission in the
French army to serve under Stanis-
laus. Becoming impatient at the de.
lay he went to Russia where he be.
came major in the Cars regiment Of
afterwards went to war and O'Rourke
distinguished himself at the siege of
Berlin. At the end of the war Fred
erick the Great expressed desire to
meet O'Rourke to whom he presented
q diamond studded sword. He died
in Russia about 1882.
The O'Briens have been prominent
in Russia since the early part of the
eighteenth century.
Another famous Irishman, George
Browne, went to Russia in 1920 and
was given a commission in the army.
He distinguished himself in the cam
paigns against Poland, France and
Prussia, and was created Field Mar
shall before he was thirty years of
age. He died in 1892, and his descend
ants have held high positions in Rus
sia, one of them being Governor of
Livonia a few years ago.
But Peter Lacy was undoubtedly the
greatest Irishman in Russia. He was
born at Killeedy, Limerick, in 1878.
He took to soldering under Sarsfield
at the mature age of twelve. He
served in the Irish Brigade in France
and Italy. After the Peace of Rys-
wick he entered the Russian service
where he received rapid promotion.
In 1920 he led the Russian army in
Sweden and at the end OF the cam
paign he was made Governor Of Ii
vonia. In 1923 he commanded the ex-
pedition against Poland and entered
Warsaw in triumph. 1t was Lacy who
in 1742 took part Of Finland from the
Swedes. He died in 1751, laden with
honors and leaving a large estate to
his children. One of his descendants
was in recent years Governor of Riga,
whilst others held high positions in
Austria.
In contrast to these Irishmen who
rose to distinction as soldiers in Rus
sia, there was another Dublin man,
John Field, who made his reputation
as musician. The Century "Diction-
ary of Names" calls him British
composer" He was about as Brit
ish" as Lacy or O'Rourke. He was a
student of Clement, the Italian pianist
and composer, whom he accompanied
to Russia in 1902. He lived twenty
years in Petrograd and two in Mos
COW, when he moved to London. This
famous British" musician soon shook
the dust of London of his feet and
returned to the Continent. He died
in Moscow in 1887. He was the orig
inator of the "Nocturne," and Chopin
is said to owe much in form and spirit
to his compositions. His son, Leonoff,
became a famous Russian tenor.