AN GAOḊAL.
THE GAELIC JOURNAL.
We earnestly appeal to all who wish
to propagate real Irish sentiment to ex¬
ert themselves in giving a thorough
support to Gaelic literature as it is the
alpha and the omega of a distinct na¬
tionality. The Gaelic Union of Dub¬
lin is publishing a journal having for
its object the cultivation of the nation¬
al language. The men at its head are
giving their time gratuitously, and I¬
rishmen all over the world should see
to it that the incidental expenses are
not wanting. Type-setting, printing,
paper, folding, &c., cost some money,
and, surely, this should be generously
contributed by those whose social ele¬
vation is being steadily and surely pro¬
moted through the instrumentality of
the Irish Language Movement, name¬
ly, the Irish people all over the world.
If for no other reason but to have it
as an heir-loom in their families, for
the small cost of $1.25 a year, every
Irish family should have it.
We would in like manner appeal in
behalf of the GAEL. Now, if the GAEL
were a pecuniary enterprise we would
never appeal in its behalf; but we do
appeal in its behalf because its price is
so small as to put the question of pro¬
fit aside: no man living could make
money out of a monthly journal at five
cents a copy Hence, then, we appeal
for support for it in the same spi¬
rit as that which gave it birth, the
cultivation, preservation and propaga¬
tion of the Language of our unfortu¬
nate country. Where is the Irish fa¬
mily, or, ought there to be one, who
would not desire to leave a volume of
the language of their country as a
memento to their children?
The GAEL though small contains as
much reading matter as the generali¬
ty of weekly papers: it contains easy
instruction in the language ; poems in
Irish and in English, and other mis¬
cellaneous interesting reading matter,
and all for Sixty Cents a year and
yet we may hear Irish people say by
and by they never saw the Irish Al¬
phabet! The prospects for the free¬
dom of Ireland have not looked these
centuries so bright as they are since
the Irish language has been revived.
Therefore the actions of the Irish
people for the attainment of their an¬
cient autonomy resembled those of the
Old Man who thought to beat the boy
out of his apple tree with tufts of
grass. Now they are following the
Old Man's example and commence to
try the virtue of "stones," which all
know was effectual. Having said so
much, we hope the readers of the GAEL,
and all whom it may reach, will do all
in their power to circulate it amongst
their friends and acquaintances.
Seeing that the learned of our land are,
at considerable sacrifice of time and
means, pushing the movement it is ho¬
ped the people every where will lend
a helping hand.
The GAEL will continue to give Æ¬
sop's Fables and other interesting and
popular translations, so that a volume
of it may turn out to be valuable
when we and all its present readers
shall be numbered with the past.
'Tis then the duty of every Irish fa¬
ther and mother to leave with their
posterity all possible proof of the civ¬
lization of their ancestry.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
H. N. Phil. Pa — Ċúig ṗunt is prop¬
er because "ṗunt" is looked upon as be¬
ing in the Genitive plural, and is equal
to the expression, "five of pounds," the
genitive plural being ordinarily of the
same form as the nominative singular.
"Ċo luaṫ a's tigeann Éireannaċ ċum
na tíre so," in the article to which
you refer is impropor, because tíre is
in the Dative, governed by the prepo¬
sition "to"; it cannot be governed by
any other preposition. The proper form
would be, "Ċo luaṫ a's ṫigeas Éireann¬
aċ do an tír so," as soon as an Irish¬
man comes to this country, &c. Any
school boy would see at once that tír
or country is in the Objective Case.
The expression, "go ḃ-fuil a d-teang¬
a tíoraṁuil," in the same paragraph,
