914
AN GAODHAL
Beidh teagasg Chríost d'á leaghadh acu
'nna bhearsaidhe agus creideamh beo
Agus sgaoilmher drong an bhéarla lorg¬
adh déirce le n-a d-teanga nuadh.
Mo shlán led' chnoic, led' shléibhe, agus
led' ghaoraidhe go h-íochdar trágha,
Do thabharfadh chugad na laochraidh ata g
céin uait ag forai ad' chás,
A cloidhimhte ollamh taobh leo le faobhar
ceart is glaine sgáil,
Agus bhainfeadh siad cúntas géar as
gach claon-bheart na n-dlighe chrádhan
Amhlaoibh Ó'Súileabháin.
Holliston, Mass.
The funniest thing in connection with the Irish
language movement transpired a few months ago.
About the month of May last Mr. Angus Mac¬
Combaich, a member of the N.Y P.C.S. requested
of Captain Norris to put an old Scottish letter
which he had into modern Gaelic. The Captain
did so, and MacCombaich felt proud. After get¬
ting the composition in proper shape, MacCom¬
baich showed it to T. O'N. Russell and represented
it as MacPherson’s letter. T. O'N. Russell sent it
to the Irish Echo with the accompanying remarks
"Scotch Gaelic as it was, and should still be
written. — The following letter written by Clung
Mac Pherson, one of the Highlanders who fought
at Culloden in 1745, is one of the most interesting
pieces of Gaelic composition ever published. I
got it from Mr. Angus MacCombaich of this city.
(New York.) . . . . This letter is writtten
in correct Gaelic, it has been copied exactly by
Mr. MacCombaich. There is hardly an error in it,
it is written in the language of Carsuel, Keating
and Molloy.
T. O'N. Russell.
Here is the letter as it appears in the Irish Echo.
"Anns an m-beárnan sul do leathnuigh
sí, sheas Goilebháin MacChóimbaich, duine
uasal de Chlann Chaitáin agus beagán
do mhuintir MhicPhearsoin, ag neartugh¬
adh na h-osgailte le tárgaid agus cloidh¬
eamh-mór, agus ag taisbeánadh cróghachd¬
a bu chubhaidh d' fhearaibh Tiormopaile.
Fear thar éis fir, chuaidh síos a bh-fuil
agus a m-bás le na thaobh, go d-ti, san
deire, gur sheas Goilebháin anns an áit
sin, a n-aonarán. Air, ghluais na dra¬
gúin, ag lámhach as a g-cairbinibh mar d'
ionsugheadar é. Cheana, do bhí an bhear¬
na chumhaing líonta le marbháin agus le
básughadh, acht do sheas Goilebháin a gcos¬
amhlachd do'n g-caith-mhileadh treun, eadh¬
on, Oscar, Mac Oisín, go h-árd os a g
cionn, foluighthe le na sgiaith bheag, chomh-
chruinn ; gidh go raibh a lingeadh ó na bhrol¬
lach níos mó ioná aon t-sruth amháin fo¬
la. Do thairg siad ceathramhna dhó, acht
budh tharcuisne leis beatha d' fhághail ó na
lámhaibh. Do leag agus mhairbh sé trí-
thrúipeir-deug sul lámhach síos é faoi
shaltairt uathbhásach na g-capall, mar do
scuabadar go fraochmhar thar a chorp."
The above matter is both funny and serious. It
is funny because of the simple manner in which
Mr. Russell’s claim to Irish scholarship has been
exploded. It is serious because he has persistent¬
ly abused and vilified those who are really Irish
scholars, including the gallant Captain Norris,
whose composition he applauds above, thinking
it to be the composition of MacPherson.
The Tuam News — Readers of the GAEL must
have noticed several pieces of matter copied from
the News. The Tuam News is the only newspap¬
er in Ireland, to our knowledge, which is doing
anything to preserve the language. It was founded
by the late Very Rev. Canon Ulic J. Bourke, and
is conducted by his equally patriotic nephew Mr. J.
McPhilpin. The News is national to the backbone,
and those Irishmen in Americe — especially from
the counties of Galway, Clare, Mayo, Roscom¬
mon Limerick and Tipperary, who get Irish papers,
should patronize it. By getting the News they
will be as well posted on home matters as if they
were there. And the Gaelic matter which it contains
weekly is worth ten times its price to the lov¬
er of the language. Its cost, including postage, is
only $1.50 a year.
Had Irishmen used half the money
expended on parliamentary agitation
and dynamite in the preservation of I¬
rish nationality — the language — and
cease to buy English-made goods, in o¬
ther words, to boycott them all over
the world, Ireland would cease to be
of any value to England as a mart for
her manufactures and would let her
manage her own affairs so as to gain
her good will; there would be no Chi¬
cago scandals and Irish autonomy
would be a certainty Have not the
Portuguese set the example for Irish¬
men ? Have the latter the intelligence
to copy it?
