216
AN GAODHAL.
We are indebted to Mr. Henry Durnin, Tan¬
gipahoa La. for the following poem.
NOLLADH BHRIAIN Ui SHEARCUIDH,
RÁTH BHODAIDH.
le AODH MAcDOMHNAILL, 1844.
A Shearcuidh chaoimh, a shearc mo chroidhe,
'Sa shearc na naoi i n-éinfheacht;
A shearc gach saoi d'a bh-fuil 'sa g-crích,
A fhile chaoin, chéillidhe:
A shearc gach draoi is ollaimh chríona,
A bheangáin mhín, bheusaigh;
Searc na n-daoine air feadh na criche,
An bile fíor saor-chlann.
Is a g-Conda Lúdh a sheastar chilú
Le sgeallán cumhra, sgeumhach,
Is sgínn a nuas le meas is buaidh,
Go ceart ó 'n uaisle Gaodhlach:
An staruidhe suairc, croidhe gan cruas
Go mbudh fada buan a bheidh sé
A n-gean gan fuath, aig an t-sluagh
A míniughadh duar Gaedhilge.
'Se siud go fíor an balsam íce,
A dheoch go líonmhar réimeamhuil,
De 'n tobraid síth 'sa sruth mar dhílte
A tonnadh síos go taosgach;
Trath fhliuch sé a chroidhe 'n bunnán buidhe
Le uisge fíor na h-éigse:
Ní 'l duan nó laoidh, ceoil nó oidhe
Nár sheinn sé síos le pléisiús.
'Se Brian na céille, searc na h-éigse
fuair gean ó 'n réimh dhaonna,
A bh-fuil tuilte treuna fríd a reubadh
D' fuil na séimh' Nhílidh:
Ta dhreach sa mhéin ag teacht le chéile,
A sileadh bhéil mar íce,
'Sgo mba fada saoghal don ainir bheusach
Do fuair mar chéile na saoi sin.
Is iomdha bánd uadh Cionn-árd
Go Cionn-tsail is éigse,
Ollamh, dáin, file 's fáidh
De 'n aicme áluinn Ghaodhail-Ghlais :
Laoch gan táir a dheunadh ár,
Ag cosg na d-táin le éigse,
'S 's fíor le rádh gur sgaith de 'n bhlath
An sgeallán bhreagha réimh-fhras.
Acht nuair nach féidir liomsa an sgeula,
Chlunim féin do mhíniughadh,
No cheartughadh a g-céim le mo mheur
No pionna geur líomhtha:
Sguirfidh mé de chumadh bheurfaidh,
Go e-tiocfaidh Féil Bhríghide,
Go mbeidh na sléibhte glas ó 'n bh-féir,
Is toinneadh gréine air mhínleach.
THE IRISH MANUSCRIPTS IN THE
"ASHBURNHAM" COLLECTION.
The Council of Gaelic Union deems it its duty
bringing public attention to the following facts
concerning this famous collection of manuscripts;
especially in order that the object of the memorial
to which they request signatures may be clearly
understood, and its prayer strenuously supported
by every friend of literature and of Ireland.
These manuscripts were collected and preserved
from the destruction which attended so many
others, by the care of members of the once-royal
house of O'Connor of Connaught, to which house
most of them had originally appertained, and whose
representative Dr. Charles O'Connor of Balanagare,
the ancestor of our President, and the friend of
Dr. Samuel Johnson, was the chief collector of
this fine library of Irish MS., and of books and
writings relating to Irish history, especially to the
family of O'Connor. This great Irish scholar and
antiquary was direct in descent from Tirlogh
O Connor, who died in 1345, and whose father
Hugh was “Lord of Connaught”, The latter was
from a brother of Rury O Connor, the last, king
of Ireland. Dr. Charles O'Connor called the
"Venerable" died in 1791.
His grandson was the Rev. Charles O'Connor
D.D. This gentleman spent a considerable part
of his life at Stow, the seat of the Marquis of
Buckingham, who had purchased these manuscripts
chiefly collected by the elder Dr. O'Connor, and
who employed this Dr. O'Connor as librarian.
He was not such a good Irish scholar as his grand¬
father, but, nevertheless, he too did much for
Irish literature. Besides arranging this great
collection, he wrote a catalogue and compendium
of many of these manuscripts, entitled Rerum
Hibernicarum, Scriptores Veteres, and which was
published at the expense of the Marquis of Buck¬
ingham, in four large volumes, in Irish and
Latin. These four volumes have been long out of
print.
The Stowe Collection of the Marquis (afterwards
Duke) of Buckingham was sold to the late Earl of
Ashburnham, who added it to his other great col¬
ections. He refused. to permit learned men to
examine any of these books, in order, perhaps, by
mystery to enhance their value, as many of these
manuscripts were unique. Dr O’Donovan Profess¬
sor O'Curry, and other Irish scholars have lamen¬
ted being thus hindered from consulting the verit¬
able originals of several of the works, of which
only copies were available to them when preparing
