GRATTAN, Henry, Irish orator and states man: b. Dublin, 3 July 1746; d. London, 4 June 1820. He was called to the Irish bar in 1772, and in 1775 was elected member for Charle mont in the Parliament of Ireland. He im mediately became distinguished in the opposi tion, and infused that spirit into the country which produced in 1782 a repeal of the statute of the 6th George I, which had enacted that the crown of Ireland was inseparably connected with that of Great Britain; that Ireland was bound by British acts of Parliament when named therein; that the Irish House of Lords had no jurisdiction in matters of appeal; and that the last resort in all cases of law and equity was the British House of Lords. For his share in the acquirement of this concession the Irish Par liament voted him #50,000 to be laid out in the purchase of a house and lands for him and his heirs forever. He became the leader of the country party in the House of Commons and the head of the Irish Whigs. Disgusted by the Irish Rebellion and its manifold horrors, he temporarily withdrew from Parliament, but the project of a union being brought forward by Pitt, he once more obtained a seat in Parlia ment for the purpose of opposing it. When it was carried, however, he did not refuse a seat in the United House of Commons, being re turned in 1805 for Malton in Yorkshire, and in the following year for Dublin. His later years were chiefly occupied in a warm and energetic support of Catholic emancipation. Grattan was the zealous friend of Ireland from first to last. As a public speaker he had to contend with a defective voice; but his eloquence was bold and commanding, combining strength with beauty and energy and elevation with elegance.
The best collection of Grattan's parliamentary speeches is that edited in 1822 by his son Henry, who also wrote an account of his 'Life and Times) (1839-46). Consult Lecky. 'Leaders of Public Opinion in Ireland' (1871) ; Mc Carthy, 'Henry Grattan' (1886) ; Dunlop, Grattan' (1889).
William H., Irish organist and author: b. Lismore, 1 Nov. 1859. He was educated at Mount Melleray, All Hal lows College, Dublin, Carlow College and the Catholic University of Ireland. He has been at various times theological student, tutor, pro fessor of music and languages and lecturer on Irish history. He was professor of music at the colleges of Tullabeg and Clongowes Wood, served as organist in various Irish churches and since 1895 has been organist and choir master at the cathedral of Enniscorthy. He was lecturer at the Mangan and Balfe centenaries in 1903 and 1908 respectively and was president of the music section of the Pan-Celtic Congress held at Brussels in 1910. He was historical witness at the process for beatification of the Venerable Oliver Plunkett, archbishop of Armagh. He is a member of the Royal So ciety of Antiquaries of Ireland and of the In ternational Musical' Society. His published works include 'History of Irish Music' ; 'Story of the Harp' ; 'Story of the Bagpipe' ; 'Memoir of W. Vincent Wallace' ; 'Memoir of Father James Dixon.' He edited 'Moore's Melodies' ; 'Spirit of the Nation); 'The Armagh Hymnal' and was joint editor of (De Annatis Hibernia:' ; 'The Papal Registers' and collaborated in Grove's 'Dictionary of Music,' 'Dictionary of National Biography' ; 'The Catholic Encyclopedia,' etc.