Evening star., 1950-03-17
|rishmen Celebrating
First St. Patrick S Day
AS Wholly Free Nation
BY the Assoeioted Press

| pJ He Nssoeioieo r'eSS
DUBLIN, Ireland, Mar. IT.
Irishmen in their Sunday best
sporting shamrock sprigs in their
hats, celebrated today their first
st. Patrick's Day in the wholly
independent republic of Ireland
The weather turned bright and
sunny for the anniversary of Ire
lands patron saint and the streets
of Dublin were choked with people
in holiday mood.
All business premises, includ-
ing pubs. were closed. President
and Mrs. Sean O'Kelly drove
through Dublin on their way to
a solemn high mass at the Pro
Cathedral with military escort.
"Shawlies," old women with
kerchiefs round their head, sold
punches of shamrock on OConnell
street. Dublin's wide main thor
oughfare.
North Ireland Bans Fete
But for many Irishmen, the ioy
and festivity of the day was dam
pened by the thought that
authorities in Northern Ireland
had banned a celebration of the
day by the Ancient Order of
Hibernians at Moneymore, County
Derry.
The northern government
which has its own Parliament and
premier. although retaining it's
allegiance to the British crown,
said the ban was put down be-
cause we fear a breach of the
peace"
"A shocking and revolving spec
tacle," retorted the national board
of the Hibernians.
They sent message to Britain's
Prime Minister Clement Attlee
asking when does your govern
ment propose to withdraw from
the detestable role of catspaw for
the ascendancy administration
which you are maintaining in our
country against our peoples will?"
Prime Minister John Costello of
Ireland also played on this theme
"One last political problem still
remains, he said in an interview
today, "the partition of our coun-
try perpetrated by a British act
of Parliament 80 years ago.
In directing our energies to
the solution of that problem ]
feel confident that we at home
may rely on the continuation OF
the support, goodwill and en-
couragement from our friends in
the United States which has al
ways been given In such generous
measure in the past"
Costello Sends Message.
Mr.. Costello sent the following
message to Irishmen in the United
States and throughout the world
on this st. Patrick's Day:
Il am glad to have this oppor-
tunity OF sending special message
of greeting and good wishes on
st. Patrick's Day to Irish men and
women and to the friend of Ire
land IN the United States of
America.
"Ireland's relations with the
United States have always been
friendly but the ties of blood and
friendship that bind our two
countries have never been strong
er than at present.
Impressed by Peace Efforts.
1--WE in Ireland are deeply i'm
pressed by the great efforts of the
United States in the cause of
world peace and economic recov-
cry in Europe and we feel some
justifiable pride in the fact that
men and women of our race have
for centuries been making a not
insignificant contribution to the
greatness of that country, which
now occupies such a pre-eminent
position in world affairs.
Our own efforts at home to ex-
pand our agricultural and manu-
featuring production and to devel-
op our own natural resources have
been notably supplemented by the
generous assistance we have re-
ceived under Marshall aid.
I'VE feel we are making salts
factory progress towards the Ire
land our forefathers dreamt OF
and which will be a source OF pride
for Irishmen and the. friends of
Ireland throughout the world"