Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/507

 IllELAXD

IRISH

serving. 1883-87. At the close of his second term he retired to private life at Seguin, declining further official honors. He was twice married : first, in 1854, to Mrs. Matilda Wicks Faircloth, and secondly, in 1857. to Anna Penn. But one child, the daughter of his first wife, survived him, and she became the wife of Evan Shelby Carpenter, of Seguin. Governor Ireland died at San Antonio, Texas, after a brief illness, and was buried in the state cemetery at Austin, with military, civic and Masonic ceremonies. The date of his death is March 5, 1896.

IRELAND, John, R.C. archbishop, was born in Ireland. Sept. 11, lb38. His parents emigrated to America in 1849, and settled in St. Paul, Minn. Here John was educated at the Cathedral school. In September, 1853, he entered the " Petit Semi- naire " of Meximieux, France, and complet- ed an eight years' course in four years. In 1857 he commenc- ed his theological course at the Grand Seminaire at Hyeres, and was graduated in 1861. He returned to America and received ordination at the hands of Bishop Thomas L. Grace, in St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 21, 1861. He was ap- pointed chaplain of the 5th ^linnesota volunteers, and went with the regiment to the front. After a service of two years, dui'ing which time he took an active part in several battles, notably Corinth and luka, he returned to St. Paul and was appointed rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul. He was also appointed secretary of the diocese. He held both these positions until his consecration as titular bishop of Maronea and coadjutor to the Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Grace, Dec. 1, 1875. He oi-ganized the first total abstinence society in Minnesota, in 1869, and founded a regular system of temperance societies in connection with the various parishes. In 1870 he was the accredited representative of Bishop Grace at the Vatican council in Rome. The death of the Rt. Rev. James Micliael O'Gorman, vicar apostolic of Nebraska, July 4, 1874, led to Father Ireland's appointment as his successor in February, 1875, Bishop Grace appealed to Rome for the cancella- tion of the appointment, and asked that Father Ireland be made liis coadjutor. He was conse- crated at the cathedral by Bishop Grace, as- sisted by Bishops Seidenbush and Heiss, Dec. 21, 1875, the sermon being preached by the Rev.

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Thomas O'Gorman, of Rochester, Minn., after- ward Bishop of Sioux Falls, Dak. He at once undertook the colonization of the northwest through the National Colonization association, of which he was a director. In 1876 he made large purchases of land in Minnesota, and settled thereon over 900 Catholic colonists, and in 1877 he bought 50,000 acres from tlie St. Paul & Pacific railroad, which he sold to settlers. In this last purchase he was involved in some litigation, which was not settled until January, 1899, when his rights were maintained by the courts. He succeeded to the see of St. Paul on the resignation of Bishop Grace, July 31, 1884, and on May 15, 1888, he was promoted archbisliop, his diocese having been raised to a metropolitan see, May 4, 1888. He was president of the Minnesota State Historical society for several years. In the troubles with Spain, in April, 1898, Archbishop Ireland went to Washington and used his best endeavors to avert a declaration of war by the United States. He then expressed himself as follows: "I have labored for peace, but if the will of the nation is for war, I pray that victory alight on the banners of my country."

IRELAND, Joseph Norton, dramatic author, was born in New York city, April 24, 1817 ; son of Joseph and Sophia (Jones) Ireland ; grandson of John and Hannah (Norton) Ireland, and a de- scendant of Thomas Ireland, of Hempstead, L.I., who was one of the original proprietors by patent from Governor Kieft. November, 1644, and by purchase from the Indians. He received an excellent education and became a successful merchant in New York. He retired from busi- ness in 1853, and made Bridgeport, Conn., his home. He published : Fifty Years of a Play- Goer's Journal ; or Aniials of the New Yoi^k Stage, 179S-1S4S (2 parts, 1860) ; Records of the New York Stage from 1750 to isno ( 2 vols., 1866); Some account of the Ireland Family originally of Long Island, N.Y., 16U-1SS0 (1880) ; Mrs. Duff (1882); Actors and Actresses of Great Britain and the United States (monographs, 1886); Thomas Abthorpe Cooper; a Memoir of his Professional Life (1888). He died at Bridgeport, Dec. 29. 1898.

IRISH, John Powell, journalist, was born in Iowa City. Iowa, Jan. 1, 1843 ; son of Frederick M. and Elizabeth A. (Robinson) Irish ; grandson of Jonathan Irish ; and a descendant of John Irish, soldier under Myles Standish, a settler of Dux- borough in Plymouth colony ; and of the Rev. John Robinson, pastor of the Pilgrims at Leyden, Holland. He was educated in the common schools of his native city ; was a grammar school master ; became editor and proprietor of the State Press there in 1864 ; was an unsuccessful candidate for representative in congress from Iowa, 1868 and 1872 ; a member of the lowalegis-