AN GAODHAL.
7
A monthly Journal devoted to the Cultivation and
Preservation of the Irish Language and the au¬
tonomy of the Irish Nation
Entered at the Brooklyn P. O. as second-class mail
matter.
Ninth Year of Publication.
Published at 814 Pacific st., Brooklyn, N. Y.
M. J. LOGAN, Editor and Proprietor
Terms of Subscription — 1$ a year to students
Sixty Cents to the general public, in advance ; $1
in arrears.
Terms of Advertising — 10 cents a line, Agate.
VOL 8, No. 1. AUGUST. 1890.
THE EIGHTH VOLUME.
In commencing a new volume of a¬
ny journal it is customary to take a
retrospective view of the past and see
how far it has succeeded in the accom¬
plishment of its object. In doing this
we couple THE GAEL with the Gaelic
movement of which it is the direct re¬
presentative.
The Protestant Archbishop Wheatly,
of Dublin, when introducing the Nati¬
onal school system in Ireland, said he
would Anglicize Ireland without "fir¬
ing a shot or drawing a sword," and
his modus operandi consisted in elimi¬
nating from the National school-books
all mention of Ireland, her literature
and eminent men.
But he little thought that a move¬
ment would have sprung up in this Big
Ireland of the West which, by its mo¬
ral force would turn these very schools
into active agents for the preservation
of Irish Nationality!
Twelve years ago the language was
not taught in one National school in
Ireland, it is taught to-day in 52, and
you, supporters of the Gaelic move¬
ment here, are, without room for cavil,
the instrument by which that compar¬
atively pleasing state of things has
been brought about.
When, eighteen years' ago, we star¬
ted the Gaelic movement in this city,
Ireland seemed to be nationally dead.
That movement infused new life in¬
to her, and she is now, we believe, on
the high road to National life.
You all know that the Gaelic move¬
ment was not taken up in Ireland un¬
til five years after its organization in
this city. It was organized here in
'72; in Dublin in '77, when our activ¬
ity here shamed them into it; it was
in '78 that we succeeded in organizing
New York City, at 214 Bowery.
So that, in fact, Ireland would be na¬
tionally dead to-day were it not for
her children this side the Atlantic.
Then, brother Gaels, whatever for¬
ward strides your mother-land has
made toward regaining her ancient au¬
tonomy are directly due to your exer¬
tions; and though the progress of the
superstructure has been slow it is sure,
having been laid on a firm, rocky foun¬
dation.
It is in your keeping, friends, to ex¬
pedite the progress of the building of
which you have laid the foundation
and have succeeded in erecting a con¬
siderable part of the superstructure
by a more profuse circulation of Gaelic
literature, because you thereby bring
the object which you have in view
with corresponding force bofore the
public and thus shape its opinion.
If we work we shall force the teach¬
ing of the language in every National
school in Ireland, On the whole, the
retrospect is encouraging, and should
be an impulse to renewed exertions.
Because of the many unpleasant re¬
ferences which the conduct of the Go¬
tho-Saxons in Ireland compels THE
GAEL to make, one might think that
its editor is bigotted. No, he is not.
He does not care what the religious
belief of his neighbor is, or whether he
has any — that is his neighbor's own
private affair. But when that neighbor
turns such religious belief into an im¬
plement of warfare against his kind-
