Iowa
Old Press
Iowa Citizen
Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa
March 23, 1894
TO THEIR SAINT
Irishmen to Honor to St. Patrick in Iowa City Saturday.
The Story of Ireland's Glory, Misery and Heroic Struggles.
St. Patrick's day which is annually commemorated by Irish people
and men and women of Celtic blood the world over wherever English
misrule has driven them, was duly observed in this city Saturday.
At an early hour Saturday green badges many of which bore an
attachment of a sprig of shamrock were seen on the dress of
pedestrians of both sexes, many of the stores were decorated with
the green color, and not a few of them had the green flag in
prominent display.
At 3 o'clock the society of Ancient Order of Hibernians convened
at St. Patrick's Hall and then with the Union Band in front, the
stars and stripes and the green flag waving in front, formed for
parade. To the strains of stirring music which included airs so
sweet and plaintive to every son and daughter of Erin's Isle, the
procession marched from north to Dubuque street, through Dubuque
to Market, thence west to Clinton, down Clinton to Harrison
thence east to Dubuque and up Dubuque to the Hall, where it
disbanded. The principal entertainment of the day, however, was
reserved for the evening.
The Evening Entertainment.
The St. Agatha's Hall was crowded last night when chairman Steve
Bradley announced the first number of the program. Too much can
scarcely be said of the selection of program which were strictly
in harmony with the spirit of the day and afforded the audience
delightful entertainment. The music deserves special notice, the
audience testifying to its merit by bestowing liberal applause
upon each selection. Three excellent declamations by Messrs. E.H.
Flannagan, T.J. Donahue and Hugh Smith added not a little to the
excellence of the entertainment.
The speakers of the evening were Rev. D.F. Mulvihill and David
Russell. Rev. Mulvihill's address on "Why Ireland is
Poor," was a very earnest and impressed one with the idea
that the speaker had the cause of the down-trodden people very
close to his heart. He began by discussing the claim that Ireland
was not large
enough to support its present population, quoting statistics to
show that even a larger population than the present could prosper
upon it. "A land," said the speaker, "blessed by
nature as no other land is. Is it on account of character of her
people. If we were to believe the story of the enemies we would
think that Irishmen are the most shiftless and worthless of dogs
on the face of the earth." The Reverend then proceeded to
show how Irish women and Irishmen by industrious habits had won
the hearts of Americans "and in the late rebellion,"
exclaimed the speaker where the green flag was seen beside the
red, white and
blue, the fight was the hottest. "Then if it is not in the
character of the people or the country" he continued, it
must be in the missrule and tyranny of the English, and when this
is wiped away, Liberty, Love and Law will reign in Ireland."
David Russel's native wit and genious made him exceedingly
popular with Iowa City audiences and the mere mention of his name
last night was enough to provoke a storm of applause. After
indulging in some very brilliant thrusts of wit and eloquent
tributes to the way in which the country observed St.
Patrick's day in which he provoked roars of laughter in stating
his objection to a "niger" wearing the green, in a very
pungent language he reviewed briefly the life of St. Patrick. He
closed by paying beautiful and fitting tribute to Columbia and
old Glory.
[transcribed by C.J.L., March 2005]