122
AN GAODHAL.
The Philo-Celtic Society of New York meets at
263 Bowery every Thursday evening at 8, and ev¬
ery Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock p. m., and im¬
part instruction gratuitously to all who desire to
cultivate a knowledge of the Irish Language. New
York Gaels should urge their neighbors to attend
the sessions of the society.
The Gaelic Journal should be in the library of
every Irishman. Send to the Editor, John Flem¬
ing, 33 South Frederick street, Dublin, 60 cents.
Irishmen, never forget this — if you do you shall
get left — that the Irish Nation did not bring ONE
pound of earth to Ireland — that, therefore, the lan¬
guage is the Nation!
New York, August 20, 1891.
Dear Sir. — I hereby inclose to you a continuation
of those little extracts from the Seanchus Mor, or
Brehon Laws. I am sorry that I had no time to
send you any for the last number, but be sure that
you will always hear from me when I can have a
minute of time to myself. I hope that those who
take any interest in these little expoundings will
connect the following with the last given.
Original, as in Seanchus Mor.
Tucait a denmu na Laidhi imorro: .i.
Laedhaire da urail ar cach fer do muin¬
dthir Patraic do marbadh; ocus a breith
fein o Laegaire don ti no muirfedh, co
findudsim in dilgadh do beradh do. Oc¬
us do cualaidh Nuadu Derg, mac Neill,
derbrathair do Laegaire eisideic, oc¬
us e a ngialluidecht ac Laegaire, ocus
a dubairtside da fuaslaictea de, ocus
go tucta cumha elido, no muirfedh nec
do muinntrir Patraic. Ocus tucad
taisidecht marcsluaig Laegaire do, oc¬
us ro fuaslaictea dia gialluidecht, oc¬
us ro gabustair slanu um a comulladh
sin ris; ocus ro gabustair a sleig a
cedoir, ocus do cuaid d'indsaighi na
cleirec, ocus tarluig an sleig fuithib o¬
cus ro marbustair Odran, aru Pat¬
raig.
No guma inu carput no beth in cler¬
ech and, ocus Ordan oc corughadh an
carpuit, ocus guma cuigi budein no be¬
rud in turcur. Ocus ro fergaidhedh in
clerec, ocus ro togaib a lamu suas
docum a Tigerna, ocus ro bi cros fig¬
ill; ocus tainig crithnughadh ocus talum¬
cumhsgadh mor isin baile, ocus dorch¬
tu ar in grein, ocus tarmsoillse; ocus
issedh a deruitsem co noslaictea do¬
rus ithfrin and in uair sin, ocus go ra¬
bus ag impod na Temrach; ocus conid
ann sin ro claenta Temuir. Ocus ro
aitcitea a Tigerna ris na lamu do
toirnem um breth do gabhail ina fer
muindtiri do 'marbhadh, ocus a roga
brethemon i n-Érinn do, ocus ro aem¬
ustair som sin o ro haitcedh dia ris.
English Translation.
But the cause of the poem having
been composed was as follows :— Lae¬
ghaire ordered his people to kill a man
of Patrick's people ; and Laeghaire a¬
greed to give his own award to the
person who should kill the man, that
he might discover whether he would
grant forgiveness for it. And Nuada
Derg, the son of Niall, brother of Lae¬
ghaire, who was in captivity in the
hands of Laeghaire, heard this, and he
said that if he were released, and got o¬
ther rewards, he would kill one of Pat¬
rick's people. And the command of Lae¬
ghaire's cavalry was given him, and he
was released from captivity, and he
gave guarantees that he would fullfil
his promise ; and he took his lance at
once and went towards the clerics,
and hurled the lance at them and slew
Odhran, Patrick's charioteer.
Or, 'according to others', the cleric
(Patrick) was in his chariot at the
time, and Odhran was adjusting the
chariot, and it was at 'Patrick' himself
the shot was aimed. And the cleric
was angered, and raised up his hands
towards his Lord, and remained in the
attitude of prayer with his hands cros¬
sed; and there came a great shaking
and an earthquake at the place, and
darkness came upon the sun, and there
was an eclipse; and they say that the
gate of hell was then opened, and that
Temhair was being overturned ; and
then it was that Temhair was inclin¬
ed. And the Lord ordered him to low¬
er his hands to obtain judgment for
his servant who had been killed, and
told him that he would get his choice
of the Brehons in Erin, and he consen¬
ted to this as his God had ordered
him.
Modern Irish as I understand it. — It will be no¬
ticed that I write the following as much like the
