Philo-Celts.
Brooklyn Philo-Celts are reminded
to not forget the society's fancy fair,
which is to come off in a few weeks, the
prizes were enumerated in a recent is¬
sue of THE GAEL.
The last reunion was the best the so¬
ciety had this year. The Misses Dunne,
M'Grath and M'Donald presided at the
piano by turn, and President Gilgannon
introduced the exercises in a stirring,
fluent, GAELIC address.
The Hon. Denis Burns recited Máire
'sna Flaiṫis; Mrs. McDonald sang Tá
Euluiġṫe do Deó Uainn an Loċrán ḃí
a Sgaraḋ ("'Tis Gone and forever"),
and gave for an encore "The Dear Lit¬
tle Shamrock of Erin." Miss Dunne
recited "Guilty or not guilty"; Mr. D
J. Nash recited 'Erin's Flag," and pre¬
faced it by singing a few verses of
"Citi Na n-Úḃall,"
which appears in this issue. Miss Mc¬
Grath sang "The Minstrel Boy" in a de¬
cidedly artistic manner; Miss Lettie
McDonald gave a selection of Irish Airs
on the piano ; and Miss Nóra T. Costel¬
lo sang
Rós Déiġionaċ an t-Saṁraiġ,
in her usual pathetic, soul-inspiring ac¬
cents. But Mrs McDonald capped the
climax of the evening's entertainment
by her rendition of
"An Ċruit do Scap Trí Halluiġ an Ríġ
Na Gaeṫe Ceolta Binn'."
THE GAEL's readers are aware that an
American gentleman, Mr. Baldwin,
suggested an added stanza to The
Harp of Tara in a spirit in kee¬
ping with the present phase of Irish as
airs. Mr. Baldwin did write the stanza,
and in such a spirit, (see page 467 of
THE GAEL) and when Mrs. McDonald had
finished singing the original stanzas of
the Harp she made a long pause, and
with renewed energy and spirit, sang
the added stanza, and being an accom¬
plished singer, and having perfect com¬
mand of her theme, she elicited im¬
mense applause.
A large number of old members were absent
from the reunion, Why? Is English sentiment
getting the better of them, too?
We see that the A. O. H. and other Irish societies
are turning out on St. Patrick's Day — How many
of these can read the inscription on their flag, or
intelligently exchange the ordinary salutations of
the day in the language of St. Patrick and of their
country. Shame, gentlemen, you ought to hide
yourselves.
Fifty-six societies for teaching Irish have been
organized in America these eight years past.
Of all the phases of ignorance there is none less
excusable than that of one's language.
The Catholic Examine has changed its name to
The Brooklyn Examiner.
The Scranton Truth is one of the most enterpri¬
sing daily papers in the State of Pa.
Can a man be an Irishman without knowing the
language?
You, who call yourselves Irishmen, get the Gael
and bind it, and leave it as an heirloom in your fa¬
milies that generations yet to come may be able to
retrieve the ground lost by their degenerate sires.
It will be news for the constituents of congress¬
men Campbell and Mahoney that these worthies
sent communications of sympathy and encourage¬
ment to Beecher's "Bread and Water“ Free Trade
Club! Campbell made his money in the iron trade
under Protection; Mahoney wants to make his by
importing rum free of duty and retailing it to his
unfortunate countrymen at 10 or 15 cents a nib.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The "IRISH ECHO" is a new monthly publish¬
ed by the Boston Philo Celtic Society, and is to
be devoted to the interests of Irish Literature,
History, Autonomy of Ireland, etc. It is a live¬
ly, interesting English publication, as would be
expected from its projectors, who are Messrs. O'
Daly, Gallivan, O'Neill, Sullivan and Murphy.
But it looks rather strange to us that such a pub¬
lication coming from such a source, wholly ig¬
nores the Irish Language. The readers of the
IRISH ECHO may imagine that such a thing as
the Irish Language exists, or did have an exist¬
ence, the same as the school boy may imagine
the shape of the mountains of Asia, but in a less
cogent degree — because the mountains are pres¬
ented to his view in a suitable manner on his
atlas, whereas the ECHO has not a single word
of Irish, even as a specimen.
As already remarked, the IRISH ECHO (is it
an echo in the proper sense ?) is a sprightly En¬
glish publication, well worth its price (60, cets
a year) to the English reader. But we are sur¬
prised at the Boston Philo Celtic Society where
so much superior Irish talent abound, and where
every convenience exist for turning out Gaelic
literature, that the initial number of their jour¬
nal should appear without a single word in the
language whose preservation and cultivation are
the ostensible objects of their association !
