602 IRELAND 



Walker, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, died towards the close of 1911, and was succeeded 

 by the Attorney-General, Mr. Redmond Barry. Mr. Charles O'Connor became At- 

 torney-General, and Mr. Ignatius O'Brien was appointed Solicitor- General. 



Education. So far as education is concerned, the situation is practically unchanged 

 except for the establishment of the National University. Under the system of pay- 

 ment by results, the amount of the school grant paid to managers of intermediate schools 

 in Ireland on account of the examinations in 1911 was 46,461. In June 1912 the Inter- 

 mediate Board was requested by the Under Secretary for Ireland to draw up, in co- 

 operation with the Board of National Education, a scheme of scholarship whereby 

 suitable pupils might pass from the primary to the secondary schools. After conference 

 between representatives of the board and of the teaching profession a scheme was drawn 

 up and sent to the Treasury. The board suggested the extension of the scheme so as to 

 provide increased facilities for agricultural and technical training. The Treasury re- 

 fused to sanction the scheme. However, in July 1912 provision of 10,000 was made 

 for scholarships to enable primary school children to enter secondary schools. These 

 scholarships were to be open to all National School children under 13 years of age, and 

 the examination was to be competitive, regional and annual, conducted by the National 

 Board's inspectors. (Provision of 40,000 was also made to improve the status of 

 secondary teachers, an improvement which consecutive teachers' congresses have annual- 

 ly demanded.) It was proposed that, when the scholarships expired, the holders should 

 be elected to County Council scholarships. The County Councils offered these only 

 on condition that they should be held at the National University. The Chief Secretary 

 insisted that they should be tenable at any Irish University, and, as a result of the 

 deadlock, the scheme remained in abeyance at the end of 1912. The National Univer- 

 sity of Ireland was the creation of Mr. Birrell's Irish Universities Act. The Act insti- 

 tuted University College, Dublin, and reconstructed the Queen's Colleges of Cork and 

 Galway as constituent colleges. Queen's University, Belfast, became a separate estab- 

 lishment. Dublin was allotted an annual grant of 32,000, Cork, 20,000, and Galway 

 12,000 out of the new University's share of the original endowment of the Royal 

 University. 150,000 was granted for building purposes to Dublin, 14,000 to Cork, 

 and 6000 to Galway. The preparatory work of the Commission was completed in 

 July 1911, but the authorities of the Dublin College experienced some difficulty in find- 

 ing a suitable site. Eventually a site adjacent to that of the Royal University build- 

 ings was provided by Viscount Iveagh, the chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin. St. 

 Patrick's College, Maynooth, has been " recognized " by the senate of the new univer- 

 sity. The number of entrants to the university in 1912 was: 755 to University College, 

 Dublin, an increase of 60 on the previous year; 425 to University College, Cork, an in- 

 crease of 10; and 155 to University College, Galway, an increase of 5. An agitation in 

 favour of making Irish compulsory for matriculation was begun by the Gaelic League, 

 and the senate finally decided to make a course in Irish compulsory for those who did not 

 take it at matriculation till 1913, in and after which year it is to be compulsory for 

 matriculation. Mr. Dennis Coffey was appointed president of University College, 

 Dublin. The five Connaught counties have struck a rate-in-aid of University College, 

 Galway. Kerry, Waterford, Cork, Tipperary and Limerick have established scholar- 

 ships to University College, Cork. It is estimated that when the County Council 

 schemes are in full working order the National University of Ireland will derive an 

 additional income of more than 12,000 from this source. The demand for the develop- 

 ment of the constituent colleges into independent universities, on the plea that a federal 

 system is wasteful and cumbrous, has already made itself audible. The proposal is 

 supported by the Cork College and its president, Sir Bertram Windle. It is resisted by 

 the Galway College and its president, Dr. Anderson. Trinity College, Dublin, cele- 

 brated the bi-centenary of its Medical School in July 1912. The recommendations in 

 the report of the Science Schools Committee have now been completed by the gift of 

 Lord Iveagh two months earlier of 10,000 to the Trinity College department of geology 

 and mineralogy, which had been prevented by lack of funds from acquiring the appara- 



