338
AN GAODHAL.
THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND THE NA¬
TIONAL BOARD.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN.
St. Theresa's, Clarendon st., Dublin,
March 3rd
Sir — Far better an open enemy than a concealed
foe. The Board of National Education has been
too long the concealed foe ; but we, the Gaelic Un¬
ion, have forced it into the position of declaring
itself the open enemy of the Irish language. Opin¬
ions were very much divided on the prudence or
the policy of the Gaelic Union "going to the Cas¬
tle” to lay a statement before the Chief Secretary
with regard to the position of the Irish language
in the National schools. Too late now to discuss
our action of six month's ago, but not too late to
say that we have gained one of the objects in view,
and that is the forcing of the enemy into the open
field. In the answer to our memorial we have
sufficient material to show that the nicknamed Na¬
tional school has been the grave of the National
language; that the teachers in those schools have
not only scourged out the language, but created a
bludgeon police among the ignorant parents, so un¬
natural as to spy upon and betray their own chil¬
dren. We have enough to prove that if “the Don¬
egal of 1884 is not the Donegal of 1853,” we have
also enough to prove that Patrick Keenan, Head
Inspector of 1853, is not the Sir Patrick Keenan,
Resident Commissioner of 1884. And soon, we
hope, abundant information will be forthcoming
from our country districts to put in evidence against
Sir Patrick's statement when he says :
The Donegal of to-day is entirely different from
the Donegal of 1855. There is now no parallel be¬
tween Malta and any of the districts of Donegal or,
indeed, of any part of Ireland.
Now, Mr. Editor, if the Irish language is to be
saved at all, it cannot be done by letters and articles
in newspapers alone, by talking about the glories
of its past, or by theorising about its beauties.
There must be action, united and determined.
And very soon a tangible opportunity will be given
the country of throwing off the insult now cast up¬
on them by the Commissioners, and declaring once
and forever whether the Irish language is to live or
die. Until I founded in 1876 a society which has
passed its zenith, only intermittent and spasmodic
efforts were made to save the language ; but since
that date remarkable and unprecedented successes
have followed in my track. The climax is now
reached, not of success, but of trial. If the com¬
parison be allowed, the foes have taken the field.
On one side is the Gaelic Union, with a few unpaid
officers, without men, without money ; on the other
side is this Board, with its heavy salaried officers,
armies of officials, and gigantic, although compar¬
atively worthless, working machinery. At present
the contest is unequal, but the Gaelic Union hopes
to be supplied by Ireland with the sinews of war
as well as with willing recruits, both in officers and
men.
As soon as I have cleared away a lot of heavy
work at present pressing on my shoulders, I shall
arrange to have a representative meeting here in
Dublin to test educated public opinion as to what
is to be done — whether we are to quietly surren¬
der to the Board or to continue our labors to pre¬
serve the National tongue. As noticed in your
leader of this day's issue, it is but 25 years ago now
since the English was known by the peasantry in
some districts as the "new language." Twenty-five
years hence the National Board will if allowed,
leave us without a solitary parish speaking the Cel¬
tic of our fathers. However, if it be the will of the
Irish people that their ancient language is to live
the Gaelic Union most certainly will continue to
prosecute their efforts in that direction.
J. E. Nolan, O. D. C.
Mr. DUFFY'S LETTER,
SHARON, Pa-
M. J. Ó'Lócháin. — A Shaoi Ionmhuin :
Cuirim chugad aon Dollar amháin,
luach an Ghaodhail an trímhadh bliadhain
d'a bheatha. Saoilim féin go bh-fuil an
Gobán Saor ceart a d-taobh droch Ghae¬
dhailge. Ní'l mise fóghluimte a nGaedh¬
ilge no a m-Beárla ach táim ábulta air
Ghaedhilge labhairt go maith, agus tá fhios
agam nach n-deárnadh Éamon amadán
de féin ariamh. Tabhair dúinn go leor
Gaedhilge.
An fear cneasta tá saor ó gach
dío-bheart, olc, 'gus cáin;
Cia b'é caoi rachas an báire amach,
Ní bheidh aige ábhar bróin
Fanaim do charaid,
PÁDRUIC Ó'DUBHTHAIGH-
Budh chóir do 'n leitir so bheith foilsighthe
suim d'aimsire ó choin ach do chuaidh sí
amúgha orrainn; air an ádhbhar sin ta
súil againn go ngabhthear ar leithsgeul.
Deir an Saoi Ó'Dubhthaigh go bh-fuil an
Gobán teart. B'fhéidir go bh-fuil, ach is
dearbhtha gur chuir Éamon faoi shuan é.
Beidh go leor Gaedhilge againn air ball,
nuair a gheabhhfasmoid airgiod le clódh
a cheannacht. Ach nach bh-fuil an Gaodhal
maith go leor ó 'n g-congnamh atá sé
fhághail? Tá fhios againn-ne an congnamh
atá sé fhághail. Shaoil'mar nuair a cuir¬
eadh air bun é go m-beidheadh sé 'na phái¬
peur seachtmhuineamhuil anois. Ach ní h-
amhladh atá. Bí cinnte nach bh-fuil aond¬
uine air uachdar na talmhana indiu a
bheidheadh níos bródamhla dá bh-fheudfaidh¬
e an Gaodhal a chur amach a nGaedhilge
go h-uile ná sinn-ne. Agus da ndeun¬
óchadh gach duine atá 'nan an Ghaedhilge
léabh agus a labhairt a n-dithchioll, no leath
a n-dithchill, d' fheudfaidhe é sin a dheun¬
adh go goirid. —
FOILSEOIR Gh.
