908
AN GAODHAL.
Abridged from the Tuam News, of Nov. 1.
A meeting of the Tuam N. League was held in
the Town Hall, on Sunday, Oct. 27, the Rev.
Joseph Canton in the chair. After finishing the
League business, the Rev. chairman said that Mr.
Lyons had something to say about the Irish Lan¬
guage, and he would be now glad to hear him.
Mr Lyons — Yes, Rev. president, I mentioned
here some time ago that the National League
ought to do something towards preserving the
Language. What he would propose was to ap¬
point a committee to draw up a programme and
submit it to his Grace, the Archbishop for appro¬
val. (hear, hear).
Mr. Walsh — You will have to get the Irish cat¬
echism reprinted. It is now out of print.
Mr. Lyons — There is another catechism.
Rev. president — Yes, the "Short catechism.
Mr. Walsh — I don't think the late Irish cate¬
chism ought to be put aside. It did more to keep
the Irish Language alive for the last fifty years,
than all the schoolmasters in the country.
Mr. Flatly — Yes itself and Canon Bourke's Easy
Lessons.
Mr. Walsh — Whatever I know of the language
I learnad from the late catechism.
Mr. Lyons — There are two societies now for the
purpose of reviving the Irish. — The Gaelic Union
is the society that publishes the Gaelic Journal.
Mr. Fahy — Home is the place where the Irish
language should be taught. The parents should
speak Irish to the children.
Dr. Dowling — But where the parents cannot
speak the language what is to be done? What a¬
bout the people who have left school and dont
know Irish, would he get up an Irish class for
them? I would be glad to attend such a class.
Mr. Lyons — A class could be easily gotten up.
Mr. Walsh — The catechism at least, ought to be
taught in Irish to the children in the schools.
Rev. president — There are rules laid down by
the Board of National Education, which managers
cannot infringe on.
Mr. Walsh — Is there not a time set apart for re¬
ligious instruction?
Rev. President — Yes.
Mr. Walsh — Couldn't the Irish catechism be
taught during that time as well as in English?
Rev. president — It is taught in some of the
schools.
After some further discussion, the Rev. presi¬
dent suggested, and it was agreed to, that a meet¬
ing be held in the Town Hall the next day (Mon¬
day) at which all taking an interest in the preser¬
vation of the Irish language could attend.
The meeting in the Town Hull on Monday at
8.30 p. m.
Present — Rev. Joseph Canton, C. A. Rev. Mich¬
ael Diskin, C. C. Rev. John Loftus, C. C. Messrs
John E. Dowling, M. D. D. Lehane, District In¬
spector of National Schools. Patrick Lyons, T. C.
Patrick Culkin, T. C. Patrick McHugh, T. C.
John Cunningham. W. Kelly. John Glynn, Tuam
News, etc.
On motion of Mr. Lyons, seconded by Dr. Dow¬
ling, tho chair was taken by Rev. Father Canton,
who in the course of an eloquent and patriotic
speech, in explanation of the object af the meet¬
ing, said though the study of the English language
was now indispensable as it was the mercantile
language of Great Britain, Australia and America,
the mother-tongue should not be forgotten — a
country without a language is very poor indeed. In
the days when Ireland earned for herself the title of
the Isle of Saints and Scholars, the people of the
other lands who could afford to travel came to our
shores for learning that was not then elsewhere to
be found. Here there are schools and houses of
hospitality for them. In those glorious days, the
language of our country was Gaelic. * * *
There are now two societies working in Dublin to
help the language, and be (the Rev. chairman),
would do all in his power for it. (applause). Some
five weeks ago when Mr. Lyons brought the mat¬
ter before the National League, he (Rev. chairman)
suggested it was the Young Men's Society ought to
take up the subject, and what he said on that oc¬
casion was misconstrud, but he could not help that.
Now what was to be done to-night was to form a
committee who would draw up a programme on
the lines best calculated to advance the movement.
(hear, hear.)
Organization was effected, and subscriptions
were handed in.
Mr. Lehane, Tuam, on the Teaching of Irish in
the National Schools.
The "Daily News" as the following article in
a late issue;
"The teaching of Irish in the Irish National
Schools is defended by Mr. Lehane, the Govern¬
ment Inspector, who reminds us that it is still a
living language and is generally spoken through¬
out the greater part of his district in Tuam, where
it is now being taught in six schools. To the gen¬
eral body of the shopkeeping and farming com¬
munity over a large area of the country a knowl¬
edge of Irish is, he declares, not only desirable
but in many cases absolutely necessary, He has
heard, he tells us, surveyors of projected railways,
mappers, and others employed in connection with
land affairs complain bitterly of the trouble exper¬
ienced in spelling and pronouncing local names.
A little knowledge of Irish would clearly have
been useful in their cases. Mr. Lehane, however,
does not consider it advisable or feasible to attempt
as some have proposed, to teach Irish first and
English afterwards through its medium."
The time is ripe now to renew sub¬
scriptions. Don't ask, "Is it time?"
It takes money to turn out The Gael.
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