New Britain herald., 1920-03-18
REV. FR. SULLIVAN
 LAUDS THE IRISH
Gives Complete History Of Old
 EriD'S Isle

! at his parish last evening and spoke i on St. Patrick; Irish Bravery; Irish Music; Irish Wit and Humor," before . u large number ot members of the church. who had assembled to. dC : honor tp the patron saint of Ireland Father sullivan spoke in part as fol- lows:
 Looking Lack HOO years We see
 amidst the hills of the north of ireland young shepherd boy tending his masters flock. He is no OrC!l- nary boy as his after life proved X child of noble birth, he had been taken captive and sold as d slave in Ireland. There is something very shepherd lad, far from home, am onA; strangers, knecling in the cold and snow and wind and rain on the bleak hillsidcs of Antrim. pouring out his soul tu God in prayer and penance.
 He is other than the young Patrick and this is he. whom God h;ts; chosen vessel of election to carry His name before the GentileS and kings and children of ISra el. We are reminded of another young shepherd boy, David. whom God chose to be King of Israel. For six long years God prepared him fer his future tpOsto1ate, in this school of au- versity and grace and then permitted him to return to his home. But there fingered in his heart a curious love for the people of Erin and this sym pathy gradually developed into d le- solve to return one day and bring them the knowledge of the true Cod working in his soul. lie seemed to hear the voices of the children of Erin imploring him to come back and labor in their midst. There must have been days when the question arose was it worth it to leave home and friends and all he held dear. and so back to that Ireland that had been to him a prison? Would he not sigh for the blue skies and fertile fields of his native iund? Were not ali the his undertaking? Were not all the apostles put to death in testimony of the truth they preached! Against all such thoughts Patrick steeled his heart. for the love of God was fer vent within him and he would give up all that human nature loves; he WOuld give hIS life that truth might prevail. and that men might come to the Knowledge of truth The resolve he made youth he would carry man.
 After some years of preparation, years of study and prayer and travel of intercourse with learned and saint ly mclL going wherever the lessons of heroic perfection could be acquired, inc returned to Ireland bearing Pope Celestine's commission to preach the gospel And the children of Erin that had called to him in his dreams, rose up to welcome him. How the heart of this man of God must have throbbed as he preached to his be- loved race. We behold him standing on Tara's mount surrounded by tho chiefs and men of Erin. He is speak ing as one whose heart is atiame With fire from above, pOrtraylnG the beauty and love of the Savior, and To. the hearts of the people are touched when did the beautiful and true and good ever appeal to the Celtic heart in vain:
 such in a few words is a short sketch of the life and deeds of Ire lands apostle, the beloved Apostle Patrick, the favoritc patron saint of the nation.
 Irish Bravery.
 That the world IS well aware of Irish bravery: that the NalQr of the tclt is ;ttLrstcd on d thousand of the worlds t,attlcliolds5 is universally ad- mittc1. History tells Us how the Nors sclncn.-thc hardy vikings of Nor way. sweden and Denmark swept down on the coasts of England, Ire land. France, Spain and Italy, sur prisng mastering. piundering.
 In France Normandy, in England and lastly i'll Ireland they planted col onics. Their greatest success was in ,r ola nd which thoN rOnn1IpT.f1 mute becoming king. The Irish, how ever. never bent to the invaders, fight ing them from the Sth to the begin ming of the 11th century until under King Brian Boru at the battle of Clon- tarf near Dublin Bay. Good Friday, 1o14. the invaders were utterly de fcated. Fra ements of the Northmen remained all over Ireland. but hence forth they gradually merged With the Irish people, adding a notable element to it's blood.
 It was. however, on foreign battle fields that Irish valor won the ad- mir;ttiOn of the world. At the battle Of FontenoN. when picked column of 5000 English veterans under Lord Hay were sweeping the French from the field the Irish regiment under Lord Glare stopped their victorious ad- vance and drove them defeated in neudlOng flight, winning d notable vic tory for King Louis NV. ;ind France
 During our own civil war the core spundent of the London Times. who was an eye witness. wrote the follow ing account of the charge of Meach- CTS Irish brigade at the battle of Fredericksburg. Never at Fontenoy. at Albuera. or at Waterloo was moro undaunted courage displayed ny the sons of Erin than during those six