768
AN GAODHAL.
bhadh; nídh nach m-b'fhéidir linn a dheunadh
muna m-beidheadh go chídhfimís iad a g-
clódh.
Go m-beidh an Gaodhal go goirid ní a¬
mháin 'na irisleabhar seachtmhaineach, acht
fós laothamhuil, — mar tasduigheann a
leithid sin uainn — 'sé guidhe do charad,
"Seanghualainn."
An Effective Mode of Promoting the Cultivation
of the Irish Language.
The friends of the Gealic cause in this country
could not promote the movement more effectually
than by sending as many copies of the GAEL as pos¬
sible to the Irish-speaking districts at home. Very
little effort is necessary by Irish-speaking children
in learning to read Irish. The popular songs, etc.
given in the GAEL from time to time and which,
perhaps, the parents could recite to the children,
would bring them in on reading it in a very short
time. And when the language is generally read
and consequently written, there is no fear that it
will not be preserved. It requires no argument
to bring the efficacy likely to result from this mode,
if generally adopted, vividly before the reader. It
is a self-evident fact. Therefore we hope that the
readers of the GAEL will try to impress this on the
minds of their Irish-American neighbors. For the
lucre of the cost (2 cents a year, 12 being for pos¬
tage). those who are too busy to take part in the
movement here, can render it effective service at
home in the manner suggested. They, too, will be
thereby, reminded to their friends monthly, on
the arrival of the GAEL.
The foregoing has been forcibly presented to
our mind by the following letter from an eleven
year old girl who states that she learned to read
Irish through the instrumentality of the GAEL
alone. —
CLUAN na FUINSEOIGE CONDAE
An Chlair, Éire, mí na Nodlag, '87.
A Shaoi Uasail:
Cuirim chugat an leitir bheag seo
le buidheachas a thabhairt dhuit fá 'n tíodh¬
lacadh mór a bhronnais orm, eadhon, gur
fhóghluim mé le teanga mo dhúthchais a
sgríobhadh agus a léigheamh thré do pháip¬
eur, An Gaodhal.
Fuaireas an Gaodhal uadh m'uncle
timchioll ceithre bliadhna ó shoin, nuair a
bhídheas seacht m-bliadhna d'aois, agus 'sé
an cheud Ghaodhal a fuair mé an dómhadh
sileadh deug gon cheud rolla, ann a rabh
an t-sean abhrán, "Bean an Óir Fhoilt
Dhoinn," Sin é an cheud nídh d'fhóghluim mé
mar bhídheadh m'uncle d'a sheinm agus
chuir mé g-cuimhne é. Tig liom gach h-uile
nídh léigheadh anois, & tá mé cho práineach
air an nGaodhal leis an t-súil ann mo
cheann, & tá cómhursa agam, Máirín Phai¬
dir Abúrca, tá ábulta léigheamh cho maith
liom-sa beagnach.
Tá an t-airgiod gann againn agus,
air an ádhbhar sin, ní thig linn móran lea¬
bhar a cheannach. Thug m'uncle Searc Lean¬
amhuint Chríost dham an lá cheana agus,
gan bhréig, is ait an leabhar é; tig liom
gach h-uile fhocal de léigheadh go réidh.
Tá na daoine thart-timchioll ann so
labhairt Gaodhailge g-comhnuidhe, agus tá
scoil Ghaodhailge bh-foisgeacht ceithre mhíle
dhúinn, acht ní dheachaigh mise ariamh ann
sin mar atá sé ro fhada uaim. Ní'l
moill air éinneach a bh-fuil na leabhra
aige fóghluim le n-a theanga féin a léigh¬
eadh — tuige m-beidheadh?
Air son an méid a righne tú dham ag¬
us atá tú deunadh d'ar d-teangain dhúth¬
chais, guidhim go m-béidh saoghal fada ag¬
at agus go leor séin ort leis an nGao¬
dhal a stiúradh.
Is mé go buidheach agus go h-ómósach.
Do sheirbhíseach úmhal,
NÓRA BHREATHNACH.
[Maiseadh, saoghal fada agad, a leinbh,
agus go g-cosnaidhe Dia thú — F. E. G.]
Nearly literal translation
Ashlawn, County Clare, Ireland.
Christmas Month, 1887.
Gentle Sir:
I send you this small letter to
thank you for the great favor which
you have bestowed on me, to wit, I
learned to write and read the language
of my country through your paper, the
GAEL. I got the GAEL from my uncle
about four years since, when I was sev¬
en years of age, and it is the first num¬
ber I got, the twelfth number of the
first volume, in which was the old
song “The woman with the gold Brown
Tresses.” (The Lady Brown]. That is
the first thing I learned, because my
uncle used to sing it, and I committed
it to memory. I can read everything
now, and I am as careful of the Gael as
