AN GAOḊAL.
21
SEANṀÓIR ĠAOḊALGE.
Leis an Aṫair Urramaċ P. I. Ua Cui¬
niḃ i d-Teampull Naoiṁ Alphonsuis,
Eoḃraċ Nuaḋ, Oiḋ'l Páḋruic, 1895.
(Leanta.)
Fuair an náṁaid buaiḋ air feaḋ
tamaill, & ḃí rún aca, ní ṡé 'ṁáin Éire
do ċur faoi n-a smaċt, aċt a n-ioḋal¬
aḋraḋ féin do ċur ar ṁuintir na h-Éi¬
reann, & creideaṁ beannuiġṫe Naoṁ
Páḋruic do ḋíbirt as an n-oileán go
deo. Ar feaḋ na m-bliaḋan so ḃí 'n
t-Éireannaċ & an Loċlannaċ fastuiġṫe
in a ċéile i dtroid an ḃáis, & is minic i
ḃí cré na h-Éireann 'ġa deargaḋ leis
an ḃ-fuil do b'ḟeárr 'san tír.
An raiḃ na h-Éireanaiġe cúṁaċtaċ
go leor le buaiḋ d' ḟáġail ar an náṁ¬
aid Loċlannaċ, no a raiḃ sé i g-cumas
na ndaoineaḋ míoḟorúnaċ sin a ruag¬
aḋ amaċ as an oileán glas? Biḋead¬
ar; aċt má ḃí, cia 'n fáṫ ná 'r ndeár¬
nadar é? Freagramaoid ar g-ceist
ag ráḋ go raḃ an míoḟorún tíoraṁla
sin orra, an t-eidirḋealuġaḋ a sgap a
neart le caṫaiḃ beaga suaraċa an
aġaiḋ a ċéile, & a ċongḃaiḋ iad ó n-a
d-teaċt le ċéile in n-dluṫ-ḃuiḋean a
ṫiománfaḋ na Loċlannuiḋe ó n-a d-tír
go bráṫ.
Ġlac na Loċlannuiḋe buntáiste ar
an stáid eidirḋealḃṫa sin a ḃí 'measg
buiḋean na hÉireann, & ċuir siad róm¬
pa an t-oileán a ċur faoi ċois anis no
go deo. Mar sin de, rinneadar conn¬
aaḋ le taoiseaċaiḃ págánaċa a gciniḋ,
a ḃí go h-an-ċúṁaċtaċ ṫré tuaisċeart
na h-Éorpa ins an am sin, & d'a réir
sin, ní raḃ roġa ag ag an náṁaid aċt
arm mór do ṫógáil ċum an obair uaṫ¬
ḃásaċ sin do ċuir i ngíoṁ.
Ċonnairc Brian Boroiṁe, a ḃí 'san
am sinn árd-riġ ar Éirinn, an sdoirm
a ḃí a teaċt; ċonnairc sé an neul dor¬
ċa, an ciċ uaṫḃásaċ a ḃí le linn a ḃris¬
teaḋ ós cionn na h-Éireann, & d' ull¬
ṁaiġ sé a ḃuiḋne do 'n g-coṁrac fioċ¬
ṁar, ċum go nglacfaḋ sé an Loċlann¬
aċ ar ḃárr a ṗíce. D' ḟuagair sé air
Since issuing the first insstallment of Rev Father
Cuniffe's Saint Patrick's Day Lecture, many Irish-
speaking persons (who are not able to read Irish
thoroughly) expressed a wish to see a close English
translation of it in The Gael, as it would help
them to read the Irish thoroughly and, thereafter,
Gaelic matter generally We have complied. We
give the "close" translation of the present install¬
ment in this parallel column, and we shall give the
subsequent installments in the same form; the trans¬
lation of the first installment will also be given be¬
fore it is completed, so that the reader will have a
valuable piece of Gaelic oratory for his library.
The enemy got victory for a time, and it was their
intention, not only to bring Ireland under their
sway, but to force their own idolatry on the people
of Ireland, and to banish from the island for ever
Saint Patrick's holy faith. During these years
Irishmen and Scandinavians were in each other's
grip in deadly strife, and often the soil of Ireland
was reddened by the best blood of the country.
Were the Irish powerful enough to gain a victory
over the Scandinavian enemy, or was that unfortu¬
nate people powerful enough to hunt them out of
the Green Isle? They were ; but if they were why
did they not do it? We reply to our question say¬
ing, they had home misfortune — that division that
scattered their strengh by petty little wars among
themselves, which kept them from coming togeth¬
er in one united mass that would drive the Scandi¬
navins from their country for ever.
The Scandinavians took advantage of the divided
state which obtained amongst the Irish hosts [that
is, the Irish chieftains], and they determined to
place the island in subjection to them now and for
ever. Hence, they made a compact with the pagan
leaders of their tribe who were powerful in northern
Europe at that time, and, accordingly, the enemy
had no choice but to raise a large army to compass
that terrible work.
Brian Boromhe, who was then supreme monarch
of Ireland, saw the coming storm; he saw the dark
cloud — the awful tempest, which was about to
break over Ireland, and he prepared his hosts for
the fierce contest, in order to receive the Scandina¬
vians on the point of his pike. He called on the
princes of Ireland to array themselves under the
Green Flag of their country.
They came in mighty hosts to give battle to the
