﻿66
AN GAOḊAL
Ḋiúltuiġ sé Bettiġ & a cuid diaḃlór,
& d'a ḃriġ sin, faoi 'n ḃ-fear miofort¬
únaċ Mountjoy, le orduġaḋ Ḃettiġ,
tugaḋ breiṫ báis ar an árd-easbog.
Aċ cia 'n ċuma báis a ḃí le fulaing
aige? É ḃeiṫ loisgṫe go n-eugfaḋ an
t-anam as a ċolainn ḃeannuiġṫe. Mar
ċeangail siad é do 'n ċrann ins an áit
d-tugṫar Ṗáirc an Ċoláisde anois air.
Ar ċuir siad teine ṁór in a ṫimċioll
le n-a ċur ċum báis go tapaiḋ. Níor
ċuir: ḃeiḋeaḋ sé sin ro ṫrócaireaċ;
aċ in ionad sin ċuir siad ola & biot¬
aile & neiṫe eile solasta ar a ċosa
loma. Lasaḋ é go raḃ a ċolainn faoi
lasair go h-uile. Ar leig siad ḋó bás
ḟáġail faoi 'n lasair sin? Níor leig;
ḃeiḋaḋ sin ro ṫrócaireaċ do ṡagart
nó easbog Ṁúċ siad an lasair nuair
a ċonnairc siad go raḃ an ċolann mar
ġríosaċ. Ċuir siad ar ais é ins a g¬
carcair le caṫuġaḋ a cuir air arís; &
giḋ go raḃ sé faoi ṗiantaiḃ uaḃásaċa
ḋiúltaiġ sé na diaḃalóiriḋe. D'a ḃriġ
sin tugaḋ amaċ é arís lá 'r na máraċ;
ceanglaḋ de 'n ċrann é mar rinne an
lá roiṁe sin; lasaḋ é go raḃ sé faoi
ṫeiniḋ go h-uile; múċaḋ an lasair — &
is mar sin do ḋeun siad leis an mair¬
tir ḃeannuiġṫe ceiṫre laeṫe i n-diaiġ a
ċéile; aċ an cúigeaḋ lá d' eug an t-an¬
am ó 'n luaiṫ naoṁṫa & ó n-a ċnáṁaiḃ
mór-luaċṁara le ḃeiṫ go síorruiḋe fá
ċoróin ġlórṁar, mar ġaisgiġeaċ treun¬
ṁar a fuair buaiḋ ar náṁaid a ċreid¬
iṁ, & a rinne an troid ṁaiṫ ar ṡon Dé
& Naoṁ Paḋraic.
Fiafruiġṫear díom ar ṁair
aon t-sagart nó aon easbog ar biṫ
Caitiliceaċ in Éirinn faoi na dliġṫiḃ
sgiúrsaċa so. Freagraim gur mar
ṫuit fuil na mairtireaċ, i b-príoḃ aoisiḃ
na h-Eaglaise in a h-uisge úraiġṫe, ag
fliuċaḋ na talṁan as ar éiriġ síol
naoṁṫa an ċreidiṁ ag iompóġaḋ na b¬
págánaċ ar fud an doṁain, is mar an
g-ceudna ḃí an ċúis in Éirinn ar feaḋ
laeṫeaḋ uaḃásaċ na geurleanaṁainte;
óir le fuil na mairtireaċ Éireanneaċ
& a seasṁaċt ar son na h-Eaglaise,
rinneaḋ an creideaṁ Caitiliceaċ tar¬
ruingeaċ do ṁórán de na Protestún.
his body was all in a flame. Did they suffer him
to die under that flame? They did not? that would
be too merciful for a priest or bishop. They extin¬
guished the flame when they saw that the body
was like burned embers. They sent him back to
prison so as to tempt him again ; and though he
was suffering intense pains, he refused the devils.
Hence, he was brought out the next day : he was
tied to the tree as he was the day before he was lit
until he was covered with fire; the flame was extin¬
guished, and in that manner they used the blessed
martyr for four days in succession : but the fifth
day the soul departed from the holy ashes and from
the precious bones to live for ever under the crown
of glory, like a brave hero who obtained victory
over the enemy of his religion, and who fought the
good fight for God and Saint Patrick.
I am asked if any Catholic priest or bishop lived
in Ireland under these scourging laws. I answer
that as the blood of the martyrs fell, in the early
days of the Church, in refreshing waters irrigating
the soil from which sprung the holy seed of reli¬
gion, converting the pagan throughout the world;
that same condition obtained in Ireland during the
awful days of the persecution ; for by the blood of
the Irish martyrs, their steadfastness for the Church
the Catholic religion became as a loadstone to
many of the Protestants, and they returned back
to the true Church. Hence, much more was gained
than were lost to Saint Patrick's religion.
But were not all the priests either killed or ban¬
ished? That was, indeed, the intention of the ene¬
my, but he could not enforce it in Ireland of the
Saints ; for in spite of the unmerciful laws made
against the obtainment of learning at home or a¬
broad, the Irish father and mother sent their sons
to Belgium or to France to become priests, and af¬
ter a while they returned home, in order to give
spiritual care to their own country people.
They returned, indeed, but it is oftener they jour¬
neyed in the garb of a peasant than in the garb of
a priest. Many of them were caught and put to
death; but in spite of the English spy and traitor,
there were four thousand of priests imparting the
solace and blessings of the holy religion to the peo¬
ple of Ireland.
And, now, faithful children of Saint Patrick, to
finish my discourse on the tribulations and on the
victories of the holy religion of Ireland, I hope
you will not be ever without the grace of God, so
that yourselves and your children will be always as
were your holy forefathers, who lost their worldly
substance entirely, and who freely shed their blood
for Saint Patrick's religion. And, to-night, as we
call to mind the victory which we obtained over
England and Hell, let our prayers ascend to the re¬
gal throne of God as the incense which is burned
before the holy sacrament, giving thanks to God
(Continued on page 72)
