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ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
J. L. N. Y. says "I saw by the report of the death
of the late Mr. Daniel O'Neill which appeared in
the Irish American that he was the first secretary
of the Brooklyn Philo Celtic Society, but by the
GAEL, it seems he was not." No, he was not.
The P. C. Society was organized in December 1874,
and on Feb. 1, a regular board of officers was
elected as follows :— John Bulman prest., Patrick
Carrick vice prest., R. J. O'Brien rec. sec., J. W.
Kennedy Fin. sec., M. J. Logan cor sec., T. Erley
treas., and C. P. Connoly sergt.-at-arms, and the
membership of the society was then as follows :—
Carrick, Moran (10 Stone St. N. Y.), Connolly, Mc¬
Garry, Walsh, Brennan, Logan, Bulman, Galvin,
Kenny, L. Logan, Erley, O'Connell, O'Brien, Mc,
Clusky, Kennedy, Dunleavy, Dolan, Creedon and
Manly — 19. Up to this date there was no regular
board of officers — a chairman &c. being elected at
each meeting. However, an Irish class had been
in existence for a year previously, which had been
advertised in the Irish World over the nom de-
plume "Gael", and quite a number of patriotic
Irishmen throughout the country wrote to the
Irish World for the real name and address of "Gael"
The Irish World by permission published the
name and address. The following amongst other
communications followed :—
Williamsburg, Aug. 8, 1872.
Mr. Logan — Sir — Seeing your name mentioned
in the Irish World as one who would give infor¬
mation regarding a society for the study of the
Irish language that exists in Brooklyn; if you let
me know when and where they meet, its object
and cost, you would much oblige,
Thomas Erley.
147 North 1st St.
Mr. Erley now belongs to the 13th St. Society.
Rome, N. Y. July 21, 1873.
Mr. M. J. Logan,
Dear Sir — After a silence of some months I a¬
gain write to renew our acquaintance, and to treat
upon questions to which you are giving your ef¬
orts. I am exceedingly well pleased to learn that
you were the first in the field to organize an Irish
class. For my part, I have made little or no prog¬
ress since winter, as my business calls me from
home &c. Address in future Thos. Creagan, care
of B. Flannagan Esq. 60 Harrison st. Syracuse,
N. Y. [We like to hear from Mr. Creagan again.]
At that time the Irish World devoted a large
portion of its columns to the discussion of the I¬
rish Language revival, the first letter appearing
about February or March 1872 by "Gael". (We
hope the Irish World will in the near future "re¬
new its first love."]
The late lamented Mr. O'Neill joined the soci¬
ety in the summer of 75. It continued to struggle
on until the latter part of '77, when the Dublin
society had "taken shape," as expressed by Rev.
Father Nolan in the following letter —
Dublin, Oct. 25, 1877.
M. J. Logan &c. Sec. P.C.S. 814 Pacific st. Bklyn.
N. Y., U.S.A.
Dear Sir — Referring to your postal card of the
8th June last, in Gaelic (which has been published
in the Irishman), as the movement for the preser¬
vation of the Irish Language has since taken shape
and is daily extending.
I am directed by the Council of the Society to
gain communicate with you on this most impor¬
tant subject. You will be glad to learn that the
first of a series of easy elementary works for begin¬
ners, pupils in schools, and other students, has ap¬
peared, thus helping to supply the
"Leaḃair saois, soiléir, so-ṫuigsine"
which you so much desire to see, &c.
John Nolan O, D, C, Secretary.
The publication of these books gave the move¬
ment everywhere a sensible impetus, and about the
first of February '78 the society was reorganized,
and Mr. O'Neil elected Recording Secretary.
The society now commenced to work in earnest,
and hired the large hall 365 Fulton St. At this
time (April) about twenty or thirty of the members
of the society resided in New York, (there being
no society up to then in that city.) Among the
most active members from New York, were the late
John MaGuire, the late Mr. O'Neil, and Messrs,
Ward, Ryan, Flynn, Gordan, McGovern, Egan, and
Hogan, (at that time also, some of the members re¬
sided in the state of New Jersey.) Receiving reports
from the members of the society residing in New
York favorable to the organization of a class in that
city to accommodate the then and expectant mem¬
bers who resided there, a committee to organize
in New York was appointed. On May 19 a resolu¬
tion was passed by the society appropriating a
months rent for the hall, 214 Bowery, New York,
and the first meeting was held there on May 21
when twenty-seven new members were enrolled.
The class continued to meet and receive instruc¬
tion, and new members were added. However,
for reasons which can now have no effect, the new
members did not want to remain a branch of the
Brooklyn society and, in the absence of the Brook¬
lyn officers, elected a new board of officers for
themselves. The majority of the organizing com¬
mittee protested against this hasty action, and, as
they thought, disrespectful conduct towards the
parent society, but to no purpose. The Secretary
of the newly appointed officers [Mr. E, J, Rowe]
sent a report of the proceedings to the Society but
the Society would not recognize it. So the organ¬
izing committee rented the hall 96 Bowery where
the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Lan¬
guage was organized, the new members, continuing
in 214 Bowery.
The former has its quarters now in Clarendon
