Evening star., 1946-03-15
| lust AbOut
| Washington
BY Hope Ridings Miller

OA1lCC tliC eICdG udy 1Ul t1lC IL lSll
st. Patrick's-happens to fall on
Sunday this year, there's no better
time than now to anticipate the
music of Hibernian bands that will
echo and re-echo throughout the
country this week end. In Washing
ton, the Friendly Sons Of st. Patrick,
who limit their membership to a
hundred, are feeling rather chesty
now. Their newest honorary men,
ber is President Truman, only Chief
Executive besides George Washing
ton ever to be admitted to that ex-
elusive roster. Much will be made
of that new member at the organi-
zations annual dinner tomorrow
night at the Mayfower. At the
same time and hotel, a larger Irish
group, the Ancient Order of the Hi
bernians, will also have an annual
dinner and tub-thumping, all by
way of honoring st. Patrick of Tara
-. saint and apostle of Ireland . i.
scourge of demons, and the last
judge of Gael.
Two longtime residents of WASH
ingtoH have, for years, received
innumerable invitations to attend
big-league st. Patrick's fetes. They
are Supreme Court Justice Frank
Murphy, ranking Catholic in Amer
lea from the standpoint of Govern
ment position, and the Irish Min
lister, Robert Brennan. Both expect
to be in New York on Sunday.
Minister Brennan will attend the
special mass at st. Patrick's Ca
thedral, and will watch proudly the
shamrock-spangled parade down
Fifth avenue. Proudly, I repeat,
for among those marching viii be
18-year-old Robert Brennan, jr., stu
dent at the Cardinal Farley Military
Academy. Founded in recent years
by the Christian Brothers of Ire
land Conly teachers I ever had"
says the Minister, the school is
housed in the former home of a
one-time vice president of the United
States. Levi P. Morton, at Rhine
cliff, N. Y.
In the grandstand watching the
parade with the Minister and Mrs.
Brennan will be their three daugh-
ters, all named after Irish queens
Elmer (Mrs. Svend Yort); Deidre
CMrs. Gilbert JerolD and Maeve.
who Is one of the editorial staff of
the new Junior Harper's Bazaar
magazine.
Irish Blood and Thunder.
Maeve inherits her writing tall
ent from her father who, if he
could find more free time from
his diplomatic duties, doubtless
would be an even more distinguished
playwright than he Is. To his
already widely read and produced
dramas, "Bystander" and Good
Night, Mr.. ODonnell," he hopes to
soon add two others, long in the
process Of being written. He declines
to divulge what they are about, but
chances are, they will be based
on some of his hair-raising expert
ences back in the days when he was
political prisoner. II know all
about the jails in Ireland" he once
said. II did tour of duty in four
of them.".
He was in Cork Jail with Terence
MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor who was
to die after 73-day hunger strike
and also Thomas McCurtain, later
Lord Mayor of Cork, and George
Clancy, later Lord Mayor of Linz
erick. His writing career, inciden-
tally, began back in his Dublin davs
when he turned out countless blood
and-thunder yarns for American
pulp magazines. II always toned
down the material I gathered first
hand" he said with twinkle. I'll
knew the whole truth would be tool
narrowing for American readers. ri