AN GAODHAL
29
Bairbh ar son chreidimh agus thíre, mhair
síothchán in Éirinn ar feadh cheud go leith,
bliadhan, & chuaidh an creideamh naomhtha
ar aghaidh arís mar bhí sé roimh theacht
na Lochlann; ach faraoir! b' éigin do'n
Éireannach a chloidheamh do láimhsiúghadh
arís ar son chreidimh & chinidheachta ana¬
ghaidh na sluighteadh Sacsanach; óir chuir
an dára h-Anraoi a thaoiseach Strong¬
bó leis an tír a ghabháil. Thug easaon¬
dachd ameasg na n-Éireannach ócáid do
na Sacsanaighibh, & ghlac siad í go réidh
Mar sin, beagnach ar feadh ceithre cheud
bliadhan .i. ó aimsir an dára h-Anraoi
go d-ti aimsir an t-ochtmhadh h-Anraoi.
Bhí Éire 'na magh mór chogaidh. Fá dheire
"Bhí Éire, an t-seoid ghlas, ag dealradh,
go nuadh
I g-cróin-fhleasg an t-Sacsanaigh treun¬
mhair."
Seadh, bhí sí ag dealradh i g-cróin an
t-ochtmhadh h-Anraoi, an gaduidhe drúis¬
eamhuil & an truaghan salach a thiomáin
uaidh a bhean dhlisteanach, dhílis, Caitilín
ó 'n Spáin.
Ní thiubharfadh an Eaglais Choitilice
chead do h-Anraoi a bean dhlisteanach a
chur uaidh, ach níor bh'fhéidir leis a dhrúis¬
eamhlacht do shásughadh muna bh-fághadh sé,
bean eile d'ar b'ainm dí Anna Bóilin.
Uime sin, do coinneall-bathadh é, sé sin
le rádh, gearradh amach ó 'n Eaglais é
Anois tugann sé a chúl leis an Eaglais
Chaitilice, & iompuigheann sé chum a bheith
'na Phrotustún, & 'na ghaduidhe ríoghamh¬
uil; & thosuigh sé ar chúrsa géirleanamh¬
ana nach bh-fuil a léithid le fághail i stáir
aon righ no tír 'san domhan Ba mhór
an leathtrom do cuireadh ar na príómh-
Chríostaighibh leis na himpíridhibh Rómán¬
acha ar feadh trí cheud bliadhan tar éis
báis ar Slánuightheora, ach ní budh mhó no
níor budh mhíothrócairighe é ná 'n ghéir-
leanamhuint a chuir an t-ochtmhadh h-An¬
raoi & iadsan a lean é anaghaidh muin¬
tire na h-Éireann, chum creideamh bean¬
nuighthe Naoimh Phádhruic a dhíbirt uatha
Do réir cuntas na stáireadh Prot¬
ustúnach bhi na géirleanamhna so anagh¬
aidh na n-Éireannach cho borb & cho neamh-
thrócaireach a's gur deacair iad do
at Clontarf, peace reigned in Ireland
for the space of one hundred and fifty
years, and the holy religion prospered
again as it did before the coming of
the Danes; but, alas! the Irishman
was again compelled to handle his
sword on behalf of religion and kind¬
red against the Saxon hordes, for Hen¬
ry II sent General Strogbow to take
the country. The disunion among Irish
men gave an opportunty to the Eng¬
lish, and they seized it readily. Hence
for nearly four hundred years, i.e.,
from the time of Henry II. until that
of Henry VIII, Ireland was a large
war camp. At last, —
"Ireland, the green gem shone anew
In the crown-garland of the mighty
Saxon.”
Yes, she was glistening in the crown
of Henry VIII, the filthy, miserable,
lustful thief, who drove from him his
lawful, faithful wife, Catherine of
Spain
The Catholic Church would not
give him permission to discard his
lawful wife but he could not satisfy
his lustful desires if he were not per¬
Imitted to get another woman named
Anne Bolen. On that account he was
excommunicated, that is to say, he was
cut off from the church. Now he turns
his back on the Catholic Church and
becomes a Protestant, and a royal va¬
gabond; and he commenced a course
of tyranny that the like of it is not to
be found in the history of any king or
nation in the world. The first Chris¬
tians were greatly oppressed by the
Emperors of Rome for three hundred
years after the death of our Saviour,
but they were not greater or more un¬
merciful than the persecution which
Henry VIII and his follower exercis¬
ed against the people of Ireland, in
order to banish from them the holy
religion of Saint Patrick.
According to the account of Prot¬
estant historians this persecution a¬
gainst Irishmen was as fierce and as
unmerciful that it is difficult to believe
