120
AN GAODHAL.
air — Petrie's
A.I.M.
No. 815.
" 1077.
see below
page 145.
Corr Shliabh
Oidhche Fhéile Bríghde, agus mé go h-aoibhin
Ag an d-tóramh shíos air an Múllach m-Bán,
'Seadh chonnairc-sa an righ-bhean do chrádhuigh am' chroidhe mé,
Do bhí sí banamhuil, deas, áluin, óg.
Budh ghile a mín-crobh ná sneachta air thoibh chnuic,
Nó an t-ealadh is míne air lín ag snámh,
'S go bh fuil mo chroidhe-se n-a mhíle giota
Mar nach bh-fághaim cead síneadh lem' mhuirnín bhán.
Ní air an g-cnoc is áirde chomhnuigheann mo mhaoin-sa,
Acht i n-gleanntán íosal air a bh-fásann feur;
Mar a bhídheann fiadh-lachain agus bric air línntibh
Cruithneachd caordhearg agus coirce bán.
Labhrann an chuach dhá uair 'san mhí ann;
Tá suairceas aoibhinn ann gan cháim;
Bidhid na beacha críona i n-iomarcadh aoise,
Agus mil d'a thaosga aca dom mhuirnín bhán.
'Sa rúin 'sa stóruigh anois má gheobhair liom,
Béidh toghadh an eolais agam air eológhadh leat,
Agus nach bh-fuil trathnóna ná maidin reoidhthe
Nach tú an reult eolais a bheidheadh liom ais.
Ag siúbhal na m-bóithre agus na coillte ro-ghlas,
Is air mo chroidhe astigh ní bheidheadh an brón
Ag dul am' phósadh le bláth na h-óige
Agus mo lámh go modhmharach 'nna brollach bán.
Dá m-beidheadh fios agam-sa nach tú bhí i n-dán dom
Ní bhéidhinn chomh dána, agus ní eulóchainn leat,
Gidh go bh-fuil mo chroidhe 'stigh líonta de ghrádh dhuit
A's tá na tairngidhe i g-cruidhtibh na n each.
'Sa dhaoine cheannsa nach mór an truagh mé
Agus nach h-é an cursaidh magaidh mé
An te budh ghile liom, agus bhí seal d'a luadh liom,
Gur fada uaim-se do chomhnuigheann sí.
Translation of Mr. O’Brien's Letter.
Dublin, June 22, 1891.
To The Publisher of The Gael.
Loved Sir, — I received a song a short time since
from Patrick O'Leary, who is a schoolmaster near
Beara, Co. Cork, and I am sending it to you. If
you can make room for it in your esteemed journal
I shall be thankul to you for publishing it. Con¬
currently with the reception of this song from him
he told me a queer story which is doubtlessly plea¬
sing to you. He said, in treating of the Gael, —
“That is the messenger that put me in mind the
first day ever that every Irishman ought to learn
the language of his native country before the ton¬
gue of the stranger. I shall tell you how this hap¬
pened to me. One day as I was going to the school
I met a blacksmith on the way, who was known to
me, and he said to me that he would have a journal
for me on my coming home. He kept his word
for on my passing the forge, he called me in, and
gave me a number of the Gael. From that day
forth I gave an hour or two to learning Irish un¬
til I was able to read it with joy and pleasure.”
I am certain that the Gael encouraged a large
number of persons to cultivate a knowledge of the
language of their ancestors.
Your everlasting friend,
Patrick O'Brien.
For the information of those of our readers who
are not yet able to understand Gaelic fully, we
have given the translation of Mr O'Brien's letter.
We do this that the reason why we urge Gaels to
send THE GAEL to the Old Country may be vivid¬
ly impressed on their minds.
This Mr O'Leary, a National School Teacher,
did not know how to read a word of Irish before
he had seen the GAEL. He is now an Irish teach¬
er. Mr. Jeremiah O’Sullivan of Laclede, Kansas,
sent the GAEL to the party who showed it to Mr O'
Leary. By that act, What has Mr. O’Sullivan ac¬
complished? Is he not the medium through which
all Mr. O'Leary's Gaelic pupils have and will have
