Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932), Saturday 26 October 1867, page 6


A REMARKABLE DAY IN KILKENNY.

(From the Kilkenny Journal, Auqust 17).

On last Thursday, the festival of the Assumption, Kilkenny celebrated the triumph of a great principle, the uprooting of Ascendancy in Ireland. ' The passing of the Oaths and Offices Bill, which received the Royal assent last Monday night, is 'the beginning of the end,' the precursor of that! freedom for which Ireland has ho

long struggled in vain, a measure which will shortly be followed by full and impartial religious -equality in this country. The Mayor having received the following letter from Sir John Grey, to whose indefatigable exertions Ireland is indebted for the repeal of those Penal Laws, resolved at once upon carrying out his suggestion : — ? ' . . House of Commons Library, August 12, 1867. 'My Dear Mayor,— The Oath and Office Bill received the Royal assent this evening. It is now the law of the land, and you and your Catholic brethren are free to attend the Catholic Cathedral in the full robes of office with your officers, on Thursday next — which will be, 1 understand, a Holyday of obligation. The Mayor and Corporation of Kilkenny ought to attend at the Cathedral, and avail themselves of the new law, as the first Corporation in Ireland to do so. As I have taken a prominent part in this question, I hope the Kilkenny Corporation will be the first to take advantage of it. — Yours faithfully, 'John Gray.' Hia Worship accordingly summoned a special meeting of the Council on Wednesday evening ; and, having, previously waited on the Lord Bishop of Ossory, his Lordship warmly approved of the proceeding, and on leaving home directed that every facility should be given for celebrating the occasion with due solemnity. His Worship having intimated to the Council his intention to attend at the Cathedral on Thursday in his robes of office, with the sword and mace bearers, the following members assembled iu the Tholsel, at half-past seven o'clock, to take part in the procession: — D. Cullen, J.P., High Sheriff, John Feehan, T.C., ex-Mayor, John Callanan, T.C., W. Kenealy, T.C., Andrew . Dowling, T.C., (in the robes), Alderman Meagher, D. M'Carthy, T.O., William Kealy, T.C., M. Shortall, T.C. The procession, headed by the sword aud mace bearers, moved from the Tholsel at a quarter to 12 o'clock, escorted by ft large assemblage who seemed fully impressed with the importance of the occasion, and de- ' lighted that at' last a Catholic Mayor and a Catholic High Sheriff could at attend at their place of worship with the full insignia of their office, without being subjected to the penalties imposed by the barbarous laws of a bygone day. Oa reaching the Cathedral, they were met at the porch by the Rev. M. Kavanagh, adm., and the other clergy, who warmly congratulated them on the privileges accorded to them and then conducted them to the seats reserved for them immediately in front of the Sanctuary, special places being appointed for th*e Mayor and High Sheriff as the authorities of the City. On enterv ....??

ing the Cathedral, the magnificent organ pealed forth a chaunt of triumph, and1 the highly -. talented Organist, Signor Morresini, seemed to surpass, himself on this joyous occasion. After '-'? the first Gospel, the Rev. Mr. Kelly ascended the pulpit, and preached a very eloquent and impressive sermon on the great Festival 6f the day, in. the course of which he alluded to the new future which lent an additional honour to the '?' glorious Anniversary which they were celebrat ing, in having the authorities of the city present for the first time for three hundred years, and which is always done on important festivals in Catholic countries, and which, he hoped, would in future be carried out in Catholic Ireland. ? The .Rev. gentleman referred in eloquent terms : to this new privilege, and expressed a hope it . was merely the forerunner of greater and more important concessions for the peace and happi ness of Ireland. At the termination of High Mass, a Te Deum was performed on the organ, in honour of the occasion, after which the procession left the Cathedral, and proceeded to the Tholsel. On arriving there, and after divesting themselves of their robes, Mr. Feehan, ex- Mayor, rose and . -'.' said that he had great pleasure in expressing his thanks to the Mayor and High Sheriff for so promptly taking advantage of the privileges so receutly accorded to them, and that it was only right avid just that the very first opportunity should be seized on to celebrate the great Catho ? lie triumph. (Applause). The Mayor, in reply, said it was to Sir John Gray the thanks were due, and that Kilkenny might well feel proud of its representative who had achieved such a vic ' tory for the Catholics of Ireland. (Renewed applause). His Worship then invited the Corporation and Burgesses present to a splendid lunch, and after doing full justice to the good things set before ? them, the- High Sheriff rose and proposed the ,; Health of the Mayor which was received with great enthusiasm. The Mayor, in returning thanks, stated that though he wished to avoid - all politics on the occasion, he felt they would ? be ungrateful if they did not drink the health . of the man to whom they owed the proud privi lege which they enjoyed that day, he meant Sir John Gray, who he was glad to say was engaged 1 in more important Reforms, and whose success ? on this question was a guarantee that he would achieve more signal triumphs for Ireland. (Great applause). The Mayor then proposed ? the health of the High Sheriff, D. Cullen, Esq., -J.P., who responded very appropriately, and ' concluded by proposing the health of the Messrs. ??.' Hay den, respouded'to in an eloquent speech by William Hay den, Esq., jun. The health of % John Feehan, ex-Mayor, was next given, and ' after some other toasts, the Company separated. - delighted at one of the most pleasing re-unions they evar enjoyed, a pleasure enhanced by the ? , happy occasion which had brought them all to . gether, and which was .universally regarded as .the first instalment of that liberty too long denied the Catholics of this countiy.

Great Floods in the North of Ireland. — Perhaps in the recollection of the present genera-tion the heavy rains of the past week and the consequent disastrous floods have not been equalled. From all direction we have had com munications froin our correspondents detailing the effect of the floods, which in some placey have been truly fearful. Every year, about this time, Strabane and that neighbourhood suffer much from the overflowng of the rivers Mourne and Finn, and this time the inundation has been greater than usual, and far more terrible in its results. On Wednesday and Thursday from the railway bridge up Main-street to Abercorn square was wholly impassible. Boats were con tinually passing up and down, this being the only way of transacting businesb. All the shops were of course shut up. On the Branch-road and Bridge-end district boatmen earned good .wages. The loss of property is absolutely im possible to estirate. Our correspondent has got no distinct information as to loss of life, but there is a rumour that several persons have been drowned. We learn that the Dublin and Eng lish night mails, which are due in Derry at four o'clock in the morning, did not arrive until about ten minutes to eleven, a. m., on Wednesday — nearly seven hours behind time. The trains by which the mails were being conveyed was obliged to stop close to Strabane, the floods having seriously injured the line about a mile from the town. Between Strabance and Port-hall the country appeared one vast sheet of water, on the surface of which hay and other descriptions of property were observed to float. On Wednesday, Mr. Graham, the very efficient station-master at Derry, with other officials of the company, proceeded up the Irish North Western line with an engine and carriage, taking , with them the mails for Strabane, but they were obliged to stop at Porthali, and the mail bags were conveyed to Strabane in a boat. Traffic was slightly interrupted on the Northern Coun ties Railway, but we understand that both lines are now working regularly. From Drumquin we have received an account of a terrific thun derstorm. Killygordon his been similarly visited. The waters wrecked the buildings greatly. William Hamilton, Esq., lost about 20 tons of prime hay, and Robert M'Crea, Esq., Argry, about 20 sores. Along the banks of the Faugan the destruction of property has been Very great. Accounts from Omagh, last night, state that the entire district was inundated to a depth never before known. The loss sustained by farmers and others is immense. The crops have suffered much at Mouutfield, Beragh, and Gortin. The country outside Omagh presents the appearance of a vast lake. — Derry Journal. Rev. Michael O'Connor, P.P., Clare Castle one of the most respectable and talented priests in Clare, has been served with a notice to quit. He holds a few acres of land, and when the. rev. ? / gentleman (now far advanced in years) remon strated with the landlord about his conduct, he was told he would get a few pounds to go to America ! Numerous other tenants have been noticed on the same estate.— Munster News.