AN GAODHAL.
477
joice that our country and our people are in a more
prosperous condition than they were years ago.
But we have a greater cause than all these to re¬
joice and congratulate each other that the old enem¬
y of our language, our creed and our country,
is humiliated before the world by Russia, (tremen¬
dous applause, and long life to you). The wheel
of fortune is turning for Ireland, and the wheel of
misfortune for England, (cheers). There is an old
saying that it is a dangerous predicament to be
placed between two fires; but it is not alone bet¬
ween two fires England is to-day — there are fires a¬
round her on all sides, fires above and beneath
her, the fire of the just indignation of God above
her ; fires of war all around her and the fire of — be¬
neath her, (cheers and laughter). She is now half
humbled, on one knee, but she should humble her¬
self on both knees and ask pardon of God for her
injustice to the Island of Saints and make restitu¬
tion for the past by giving up Ireland to the Irish,
leave them make their own laws, speak their own
language, as they did in their pristine glory, if
she wishes to escape this last fire, (applause).
If there is any other nation that should rejoice
and shake hands with Ireland at England's humi¬
liation it is America (applause). It was the same
old enemy that made it a penal crime to teach or
speak the Irish, the language of warriors, saint
and sages, the language in which the saints of old
communed with their God, the language which
many of you heard whispered into your infant ears
by fond and loving mothers long departd, the lan¬
guage the Philo Celtic Society is reviving in this
country — the language I speak to you and feel
proud to tell you that the old enemy of that lan¬
guage is humbled before the world to-day, (cheers
and more of that to her). It was the same old en¬
emy of civil and religious liberty that thought to
strangle, in its infancy, this young republic desti¬
ned by Almighty God to be an asylum and refuge
for the oppressed of the tyranical monarchs and
despots of all nations (applause). But, thank God
the Americans, with the assistance and support
of Irishmen, banished once and for ever the acc¬
ursed red coats from our shores, and I hope we
may see the day they will be banished from the
Emerald Isle, as Brian Boru banished the Danes,
or St. Patrick the snakes, into the sea, and that
Irishmen can speak their own language, make their
own laws, as they did of old ere the virgin soil of
Erin was polluted by the accursed tread of the
Saxon, (cheers, which continued several minutes).
I am thankful for the kind attention with which
you listened to me, We shall now commence the
evening's entertainent by the Philo Celtic chorus
singing O'Donnell Aboo.
About eighty of the members of the Society
then ascended the platform and, with orchestral
accompaniment, chorused
See Vol. I. page 60.
Gaelic Journal
No. 178 p. 836. 13
O'DONNELL ABOO!
Tá binn ghuth an adhairc go glórach a géim¬
neadh,
'Gus gáir-chath a síneadh go h-árd air
an ngaoth;
Thar Loch Suilligh tá 'n treun-laoch go
luathmhar a léimneadh,
Aig na sluaghtha 'n gleann Sheamhair i
deifriugh' gan sgith;
Síos ó gach sliabh go beo,
Treun fhir nach d-teithfidh gleo —
Brostaighidh faoi ghlas-bhrat bhur n-gais¬
gidh, Aoidh Ruadh;
Bannach 'gus Galóglach,
Deifrighidh go claon aig cath —
Suas fá bhur n-díl-thír, Ui Dhomhnaill Abú
Feuch Ua Néill, sgaith na bh-flath', chum cabh¬
air a chlaonadh,
Le mór-shluagh gaisgidhe 'gus togha na
bh-feadhm;
Tá míle each borb in a roimh-rann i sín¬
eadh,
Faoi na marcaighibh ó'n g-cluan i bh-fuil
sruth Banna ann,
'S iomdha an croidhe bheidheas fann,
Faoi sgath a chulaidh-lann —
Beidh geur-bhrón air námhaid iad fhéin
bhí gan truagh;
'Nuair cluinfear ar ngáir-ghleo,
Sgriach air an t-sinneán teo,
A brosdugh'dh chum díoghaltais, Ui Dhomh¬
naill Abú.
Tá'n faol-chú i nDeas-Mhumhain aig aill¬
eadh go fraochrach,
'S an t-iolrach gan eagla a sgriach air
an magh:
Tá 'n sionnach air shráidibh a faire go
caochrach.
Ní 'l duine le bagairt air beo air an
bh-faith;
Fáisg uile lámh go teann,
Thuadh-chath 'gus faobhrach lann —
Tóig ortha trom-dhíoghaltas ceart ag¬
us luadh;
Beidh aca cráidhteach sgeul,
Air dhíl Clann na nGaodhal,
