462
AN GAODHAL.
Agus fuil mo chroidhe teacht 'na taoma,
'Sa stór, ce 'n t-iognadh é, i ndiaidh mo
ghrádh.
Oileán Éaduigh, Anglicised Islanda-
dy, is one of the burying grounds of the
parish of that name near Castlebar, in
the county Mayo. The foregoing song
is the composition of Brian McHugh, a
local bard of that district on the death
of his wife whom he lost in her youth¬
ful prime. Her maiden name was Sal¬
ly or Sarah O'Malley
The island is in an arm of Lough
Carra and obtained its name from a
custom of the neighboring women go¬
ing there to spread their éadhach lín or
anairt (linen) on the green sward to
bleach. It is a well known custom in
Ireland with the people to spread their
coarse pieces of linen near some stream
where water is convenient in order to
wet it occasionally for the purpose of
bleaching it under the rays of the sun:
loops of thread at the ends and sides
with stakes driven in the ground are
used to hold the pieces straight and
firm during bleaching hours.
The Gael is indebted to Mr. Martin
P. Ward, who wrote it from John
Boyle of Sliabh na g-Cearc, for this
song.
Repub. Vol. XI. page 246.
We have received No. 19 of the Gaelic Journal
and we thank its Editor. Mr. Fleming for his ver¬
y flattering notice of the Gael. As we have re¬
peatedly remarked, if any other people on the
face of the globe were situated as the Irish are,
the Gaelic Journal would have the largest circula¬
tion of any journal in the world. Here we are ful¬
ly 20,000,000 scattered all over the earth, emerg¬
ing from a political bond, some of us well fixed in
worldly goods, and yet the weeny solitary little
journal, the first by the grace of our conquerors
permitted to be published on Irish soil, can hardly
live for the want of support — the mere trifle of a¬
bout $1,200 a year ! What wonder that our ears
are often treated to the unpalatable sound, "The
mean Irish." The Gaelic Journal should be a
treat to every Irishman's family, yet how few
there are who support it. When Irishmen are in¬
different as to their own social standing 'tis no
wonder the world has a kick at them — no wonder
that they are "The hewers of wood and the draw¬
ers of water" to the other nationalities who res-
t themselves — no wonder that every scribbler
he Anglican press vilifies and defames them.
RAVENNA, O., Feb 4, '85.
Dear Sir, —
I have contemplated this letter for the past two
years but, for one cause or another, never realiz¬
ed it until now. Let me briefly narrate to you the
cause or reason prompting a request I intend ma¬
king later on. — One morning, while stationed at
Clyde, I received a telegram from a neighboring
priest requesting me to come at once to hear the
confession of an Irishman, who was in extremis.
In my childhood, I learned my prayers in Irish of
my parents but, so many years had elapsed, I had
forgotten them all except the Hail Mary. Fortu¬
nately my house-keeper had learned the catechism
from old Fr. Meehan of Carregaholt, Cl., in Irish.
I called her and putting the necessary questions
to her she "Irished them" as she called it, for me.
Well I went on the sick call and prepared the
poor fellow for death. I'll never forget the look
of that man when I asked, —
"Cá fhaid ó bhí tú ag faoisidin";
nor the muttered blessings when I concluded with
"Dia agus Muire agat."
Here is my request : Could you not print in
your little "monthly" the Examen of Conscience
in Irish — spelling the Irish phonetically, as you
were accustomed to do in the vocabulary, in order
to help those who do not understand the tongue
to get a correct pronunciation? I am sure every
Irish priest and many others of the nationality
would become subscribers.
I would be willing to prepare the English Exa¬
mination of Conscience for you. You could print
the Irish word in Latin or English type and under
each the pronunciation. You can have no idea
how many poor souls will bless you for being the
means of enabling them to confess in Irish.
O how often do we hear in the confessional, at
the 40 Hrs.' devotion, "Father, do you speak
Irish." Is it not a hard thing for an Irish priest
to be compelled to admit his ignorance of his fath¬
er's and mother's tongue ?
Well give this a serious thought, I beg of you,
and in the meantime put me down as a subscriber.
Very Respectfully,
JNO. T. CAHILL.
[We shall do our part in carrying out Father
Cahill's suggestion, and hope that all of the Gael's
subscribers, who are in arrears, will pay up and,
also, endeavor to get others to subscribe, that the
coming issues may be increased in volume for the
purpose of advertising this as well as the Order
of the Cross; for the number of copies issued, be¬
yond a prescribed number, depends on its income]
Germany has made England eat the leek; 'tis
bitter, but then there is no choice. If Germany
were a weak nation how her cities would be shell¬
ed by English gunboats, without waiting to learn
if there were any women or children in the way!
