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-
