Daniel O’Connell Macken Gives Talk on Irish Freedom, The Auburn NY Citizen Advertiser, 22 Oct 1921
Gives Talk on Irish Freedom
Daniel O’Connell Mackin, who during the World War was one of Syracuse’s most able four-minute men, spoke on the Irish cause at Maccabee Hall last night, before a large gathering of the Auburn Council of the American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic.
All the four-minute men were instructed to lay particular stress in these talks during the war upon the fight for freedom of small nations, he said. No mention them was made, he continued, to free all nations but Ireland. But since then events have taken place that have made it obvious this was to be the case.
Ireland, he said, is fighting to gain her independence which long ago had been stolen by the English government. Any student of history knows that Ireland was a free nation until England’s avarice for more territory took her by physical force, he added. And since that time Ireland has been struggling for her freedom and Mr. Mackin declared that they will not give up until they get it.
J. C. Sweeney, who is one of the most active members of the Syracuse Council of the Association, was introduced by President William Meager as the second speaker of the evening. He urged the Auburn Council to campaign for a larger membership saying that every one of Irish descent in Syracuse belong to that Council. He said that what Syracuse has done in the way of getting members, can also be done by the local council.
He charged that much pro-English propaganda was being spread about this country so as to arous English feeling here. But he went on to say that if the people in this country knew of the treatment that England had been giving Ireland there would be little chance for this propaganda to take root. “What the Hun did in Belgium, is nothing compared to what the English are doing in Ireland,” he said by the way of emphasis.
President Meager made another appeal to the members to increase the membership of the council. He urged them to bring into the organization all who were in sympathy with the Irish cause and also those who were on the fence. “Bring the latter in so that we can convince them,” he finished.