﻿62
AN GAODHAL.
A very considerable number of letters have been re-
ceived by the Society from schoolmasters from various
parts of the country complaining of these hindran-
ces to the teaching of Irish in National Schools.
The following extracts from a few of them will suffi-
ce to indicate the nature of their contents :— Mr. D.
Lynch, of Philipstown, N. S., Dunleer, a certificated
teacher writes: "Few, indeed, would imagine that
your Society, from its inception to the present time,
would have brought about so much sympathy and
such an educational status for the Irish language ;
but that such is the case is well known.
"It is scarcely necessary to mention here the many
though deserving places which of late it has got on
the curricula' of our educational institutions. The
National Board have recognized it as an extra for
pupils, and as a qualifying optional subject for pro¬
motion of teachers to first class certificates. Again,
it finds a place on the programmes of the Intermedi-
ate Examinations, &c It strikes me, then, that much,
very much, has been done by placing language on the
programmes above mentioned ; but this is of compar-
atively little value unless the language be taught, like
Latin and French, in a proper systematic manner un-
der properly qualified Irish teachers.
"I shall venture to say that all the national teach-
ers who know anything of the Irish, be their knowl-
edge of it masterly or otherwise, are self-instructed
persons, who followed up its study because of the
force and inherent beauty of the language. The
National Board pay professors to teach Latin, Greek,
and French ; why not give many willing young
teachers lessons in their own vernacular? The various
(though superficially different) dialects of the Irish
may be assimilated and generalised where you have
Irish-speaking persons from all parts of the country
In the training-schools you have this. With a little
alteration, I may say with Byron :—
'And there indeed might well be sown
The seed of Gaelic Erin’s own.”
"Finally, it could not be too strongly impressed
upon the supporters of your Society and its lauda¬
ble object, that one of the most essential pre-requis-
ites of ultimate success is to encourage where practi-
cable, the teaching and study of the Language.
Mr. D. L. Faherty of Derrygimbla N. S., another
certificated teacher writes: “Unless the Irish is per¬
mitted to be taught during school hours to the chil¬
dren in Irish-speaking districts, it is vain to expect
that that impetus can be given to our language
which otherwise could.
"I have no hesitation in saying that could one
lesson a day be given them (the 2nd class), that in
less than twelve months they would be able to mas-
ter the Society's 1st and 2nd books, and not only
that, but be able to write out the phrases and sen-
tences in these books. If any fruit is expected we
must sow the seed in junior classes. If the teach-
ing of Irish is restricted to advanced classes not five
per cent. of the pupils passing through the schools
where teachers can teach the language shall ever
acquire a satisfactory knowledge: by this I mean
laying a foundation on which they could in after
life raise a superstructure, should they feel so in-
clined. You should represent to those in authority
that it is unwise and injurious to fetter the teach-
ers — they should have discretionary power to teach
in Irish-speaking districts the language to all pupils
from 2nd — including 2nd — to 6th class.”
Mr. John C. Ward, Killybegs, N, S., Co. Donegal,
writes : It is not with a view of having the pupils
examined under the National Board that I am teach-
ing Irish at present ; and in fact, owing, to the re-
strictions imposed on teachers, I could not have
them examined on this subject except at a serious
loss to myself. In my opinion, only small progress
will be made in teaching Irish in the National
Schools until the programme is made much easier
than it is at present and until arrangements are
made for having the Irish taught to other classes
besides those of 5th and 6th, and payments made
for all passes whether No. I or No. 2, independently
of passes on other subjects.'
Mr Wm. Keating of Bennettschurch, writes: “I
have no class in the Irish language at present, as the
programme is too high for me.”
It behoves all who are concerned in the preserva-
tion of the Irish language to attend to the sugges-
tions contained in these extracts, whilst it is needless
to demonstrate that if teachers are to be examined
in Irish, and are paid for teaching it, that facilities
must be given them to learn the language, by having
properly qualified persons to instruct them. It
should follow as a matter of course.
Again, some teachers have given up teaching the
language owing to these restrictions, as it is not en-
couraging that a master after getting a hard-won
certificate can only teach the language under strict
conditions as an extra subject to some pupils of the
5th and 6th classes, who altogether amount only to
13.7 of the total. And it is to be borne in mind that
children in the Irish-speaking districts generally
leave school on entering these classes. Indeed all
the children intended for agricultural pursuits usu-
ally leave school on entering the 5th class, and it is on
these children especially we have to depend for the
preservation of the Irish language.
(To be concluded in our next).
A NEW SOCIETY IN BELFAST.
As we ae going to press we have received a com-
nunication from Mr. Marcus Ward, of Belfast, stat-
ng that a society for teaching the Irish Language
had been organized on St. Patrick's Day. We
shall give the report in our next issue.
Sixty cents will get the GAEL for a year.
