282
AN GAOḊAL.
Boone, lowa, Oct. 20, 1883.
Editor of the GAEL:
Dear Sir,
I am very much pleased with the last num¬
ber of the Gael on account of all the fresh corres¬
pondents who appear in it, thanks to "Padruic".
The correspondence is very creditable to the au¬
thors, and shows an increased interest in the Irish
Language Movement
As Mr. Ward remarks, the Irish people should
be proud to be afforded an opportunity to make a
combined movement to rescue their language from
decay.
And though the Gael, in my opinion, would bear
improvement in many respects, yet it supplies a
pivot around which the Irish Language movement
may be brought to perfection. The cost of the
Gael should be no barrier to any one who wishes
well of the resurrection of Gaelic literature. The
satisfaction at having a journal published in the
national language is worth five times its cost to
anyone having a spark of nationality in his veins.
I would not be without a Gaelic publication for
five dollars a year. The matter is not between you
sir, and the subscribers of the Gael. It is between
the Irish people all over the world and the pres¬
ervation of their language. You, sir, are a mere
accident in this affair. You have, to be sure, or¬
ganized and brought the movement to such a state
that it only now requires a little combined exert¬
ion on the part of Irishmen to bring it to perfect¬
ion. Without an organ to keep the matter before
the public the movement could never be a success.
'Tis then the duty of every Irishman to support it
Irishmen should not pause to think whether the
Gael is worth a dollar or six cents, or whether its
editor is this, that, or the other thing, but they
should consider it as a source from which may
spring a tidal wave that will not stop in its course
until every Irishman and woman know something
of the language of their sires.
Enclosed please find $2.60. $1 each from John
Murphy and Patrick Dunne, (new subscribers,)
and six cents from
Yours in the cause,
P. J. Kelly
A large number of our correspondents who or¬
ganized classes complain that it is so hard to keep
them in working order.
From experience we are well aware of the truth
of these assertions, Perseverance will overcome
these seeming difficulties. Four or five energetic
men in any city or town are able to keep up any
movement. But some people get discouraged if
the meetings are not well attended.
When there were five hundred names on the roll
books of the Brooklyn society we were at a meet¬
ing when only six were present! There are now
about seven hundred names on the roll, and the av¬
erage attendance is about forty. We meet twice
a week. No one can expect that all who join such
a society can attend regularly. The occupation
and mode of living of members must be consider¬
ed, as must also, the freaks of human nature.
Some will get dissatisfied with the manner of con¬
ducting the society and will absent themselves on
that account; others who think that they cannot
infuse their own enthusiastic desires into the
minds of their associates, get disheartened, and ab¬
sent themselves. Persons undertaking to forward
any movement must expect to encounter such ob¬
stacles.
This should not discourage those who think that
the cultivation of the Irish Language is essential
to the placing of the Irish people in their proper
light before the nations.
The Brooklyn Philo Celtic society had not over
half a dozen of what might be called workers
when it started the Gael.
THE GAELIC UNION.
The weekly meeting of the Gaelic Union was
held on last Saturday, at 4 Gardiner's place Mr. J.
Fleming in the chair. The subjects discussed were
1. A second report from Mr. Mulrenin on the
present condition of the Irish language in Mayo,
in which was embodied statements of the interest
manifested by the Most Rev. Dr. McCormack in
the work of the Gaelic Union. 2 The decline of
faith and of public morals, which appears to fol¬
low in the wake of the decline of the national tongue
3 A communication from Mr. Hartnell, member of
council, concerning the delay in the publication of
the annals of Ulster. 4. And the meanings and ap¬
plications of Irish in general use in the islands off
the coast of Galway, supplied by the chairman.
these words not being found in dictionaries. Mr.
Cusack directed the attention of the council to the
fact that the report of the Irish Language Congress
which was held in August, 1882 — more than thir¬
teen months ago — had not yet appeared. The
council considered that negligence of this kind was
all the more to be regretted, because the general
public at the time the congress held its sittings,
seemed to have much confidence in the gentleman
who took part in its deliberations. Mr. Cusack
gave notice that at the next meeting he would pro¬
pose Mr. T. Sexton, M P, and Mr. W Cullen, Pres¬
ident of the National Teacher's Organization, as
members of council. After transacting routine
business the council adjourned. The general
monthly meeting will be held on next Saturday, at
4 p m.
Every Irishman should get a copy
of the Dublin Gaelic Journal, its price
is only six shillings a year. It and the
GAEL are the only papers published in
the Irish Language.
