22
AN GAODHAL
phrionnsaidhibh na h-Éireann iad féin do
chruinniughadh faoi mheirge ghlais a d-tíre.
Thainic siad i sluaightibh móra le cath
do bhriseadh ar an námhaid, & gidh nach rabh
Éire mar aon ar an ócáid chritheaglaigh
seo, thainic siad chuig Brian beagach
ó gach cúige 'n Éirinn Bhí arm & cabhlach
na Lochlann thart timchioll Bh'l'áth Cliath,
& gan mhoill tarraingeadh an t-arm suas
i líne cogaidh, 'sé sin le rádh, le troid
a dheunamh ar mhaghthaibh Chluan-Tairbh. Ba
ró-fhada bhí na daoine ag súil leis an
lá éifeachtach so, acht thainic sé fá dheir¬
eadh, & budh é an lá é a bhí ro-chuimhneach
a slánughadh na cruinne, 'sé sin le rádh,
Aoine Cheusta, an tríomhadh lá air fhich¬
ead de mhí an Abráin, 1014. Bhí 'n bui¬
dhean Éireannach áitighthe & réidh, acht
níor bhian le Brian cath do thabhairt ar
an lá ar a bh-fuair ar Slánuightheoir bás,
mar bhí sé diadheunta. Bhí fhios ag na
Lochlannaighibh nach m-beidheadh dúil nó
mian ag arm Críosdamhuil na h-Éir¬
eann fuil do dhórtadh ar an lá sin. Bhí
fhios achu mar an g-ceudna nach rabh an
t-imlán de arm Bhriain i láthair, & mar
sin de níor chaill siad aon am, ach dheif¬
righ siad ar aghaidh le cath do bhriseadh
ar an arm Éireannach. Chó luath & thain¬
ic Brian go rabh an cath le dhul ar aghaidh,
& na'r bh'fhéidir leis é a sheachnadh nó a
chur ar g-cúl, thug sé orduighthe do'n arm
Éireannach an námhaid d' ionnsughadh.
Do léim sé in a dhiallaid, & anois ag
marcuigheacht ar a each-chogaidh, a chrois
bheannuighthe in a láimh, labhair sé leis an
arm Éireannach, ag rádh :—
"A fheara na h-Éireann, tá fhios
agaibh gur b'é seo an lá ar ar eug an
Slánuightheóir ar an g-crois ar ar son-
sa & ar son an dómhain go h-uile; & má
tá sé riachtanach, agraighim orraibh bás
fhághail ar A shon-san andiu. Feuchaighidh
na Lochlannuidhe in bhur g-comhair, náimh¬
de Íosa Criost, & náimhde bhur g-cried¬
imh naomhtha. Uime sin, glaoidhim orraibh
a fheara na h-Éireann, throid do dheun¬
adh & buaidh d'fhághail andiu, nó eugaighidh
ar léana 'n áir; troidighidh ar son Dé;
tarraingidh bhur g-cloidhmhe ar son bhur
g-creidimh; cuirighidh bhur b-pícidhe i n-as-
enemy; and though Ireland was not one [that is,
her chieftains were not united, on this tremendous
occasion, armies came to Brian from nearly all the
provinces of Ireland. The Danish army and navy
surrounded the city of Dublin, and, without delay,
the army was drawn up in line of battle — that is to
say, to give battle on the plains of Clontarf. Too
long the people were in expectation of this eventful
day, but it came at last; and it was the day which
was memorable in the salvation of the world, name¬
ly, Good Friday, the 23rd day of the month of
April, 1014. The Irish hosts were placed and rea¬
dy, but Brian did not desire to give battle on that
day on which the Savior died, because he was
pious. The Scandinavians knew that the Chris¬
tian army of Ireland had no wish or desire to shed
blood on that day. They knew in like manner
that all of Brian's army was not present, and
hence they lost no time but hurried forward to give
battle to the Irish army. As soon as Brian saw
that the battle was to go ahead and that he could
not evade it or defer it, he ordered the Irish army
to engage the enemy.
He leaped into his saddle, and now riding on his
war horse, his blessed cross in his hand, he spoke
to the army, saying. —
"Men of Ireland, you know that this is the day
on which the Savior died on the cross for our sake
and for the sake of the whole world; and, if it be
necessary, I beseech you to die for His sake to-
day. Behold the Scandinavians before you, the
enemies of Jesus Christ, and the enemies of your
Holy religion. Therefore I call on you, men of Erin
to make fight, and to gain a victory today, or to
die on the battle field; fight for Cod's sake;
draw your swords for your religion's sake; thrust
your pikes into the ribs of your enemies for the ho¬
nor of your wives and daughters; fight quickly and
boldly for your Church, your altars, and your
country."
(To be continued)
* In this lecture we interpret Loch¬
lannaidhe Scandinavians because they
were partly one nation at that time;
individually, their accepted designa¬
tions are:
Lochlann, Denmark
Fionn-Lochlann, Norway
Sorcha, Sweden
?
?
In its cogency of grammato-idiomatic construc¬
tion, we challenge the speaker of any language to
produce a more happily expressed discourse than
this Lecture of the gifted, learned and patriotic Rev
Father Cuniffe. Our translation is poor, but it has
necessarily to be so in order to keep a "close" li¬
teral translation of the original verbiage; and all
intelligent persons know that, in a close translation,
