46
AN GAODHAL
cuireadh amach ó n-a dhídhean bocht féin
é? Ní dheárnadh sé aon choir ach an
choir a rinne Naomh Peadar anuair a
cuireadh chum báis é — sé sin le rádh, go
rabh sé 'na Chaitiliceach. Faoi & le ord¬
ughadh h-Anraoi mhíofhortúntaigh sgrios¬
adh sé cheud mainisdir, leis an méid eile
a doightheadh & a milleadh. Tá fós go
dti an lá indiu iomad de bhur g-cillibh
i seilbh na b-Protestún; go áirighe i m-
Bláth-Cliath & i n-Gaillimh.
An dara sgiúrsa a rinne, bhí sé mar
léighean-scrios. Bhí sé mar thomhas ag
an dlighe sgiúrsach sin, daoine na h-Éir¬
eann a chongbháil in ainbhfhios le amhas¬
aibh a dheunadh dhíobh gan léighean gan fogh¬
luim, ionnas nach m-beidheadh fios acu
ar cháil no cliú a sinnsear — go m-beidh¬
eadh siad mar spailpínidhe faoi dhroch¬
mheas go deo os comhair an t-Sácsan¬
aigh míothrócairigh.
Do réir an dlighe sin sgriosadh na
coláisdidhe & na sgoilteacha; chuireadar
fiadhach ar gach máighistir scoile, mar
rinne siad leis an sagart, & dá mbeidh¬
eadh fear no bean ar bith Caitiliceach
ciontach anaghaidh an dlighe sin, le múna
páisde ar bith, fir no mná, no fós dá
m-beidheadh sé ag múnadh neach ar bith,
Caitiliceach no Proestúnach, is cuma
cia shé féin, óg no sean, air réir an
dlighe mhalluighthe bí an te sin cionntach
ins an g-coir tíre a d-tugthar feall¬
choir air. Faoi 'n dlighe ceudna sin
níor bh'fhéidir páisde fir no mná i chur¬
thair sáile le foghluim no léighean d'fhágh¬
ail i d-tír na Fraince no 'san Spáin,
no i d-tír ar bith eile An t-athair no
an mháthair, no caraid ar bith eile, a
thiúbharfadh congnadh do'n b-páisde fogh¬
luim d'fhághail 'san m-baile no i d-tír ar
bith, is cuma cia 'n tír í, bhí siad go h-
uile cionntach ins an dlighe sgiúrsach
sin, feallchoir, a chuir diabhalóiridhe Sac¬
sanacha ar bun anaghaidh foghlumtha na
th-Éireann. Faoi 'n sgiúrsa sin bhí cúmh¬
acht ag gach rópaire Protestúnach a
rádh leis an Éireannach a bhí cionntach
b' fhéidir ins an bh-feallchoir ar ar labh¬
ras shuas: "tá capall agad-sa, nach bh-
fuil, a Pheadair Ui Bhriain? atch má tá
others that were burned and destroyed.
There is yet to this day immense num¬
ber of your churches in the possession
of Protestants ; particularly in Dublin
and Galway.
The second scourge enacted was
the destruction of learning. It was
the object of this despoiling law
to keep the lrish in ignorance —
to make boors of them,* without edu¬
cation or knowledge, in order that
they would have no means to acquire
any information of the fame and re¬
nown of their forefathers; that they
would be as serfs for ever under the
scorn and contempt of the unmerciful
Saxon.
According to that law the colleges
and schools were destroyed; the school
master was hunted, as was the priest,
and if any Catholic man or woman
were guilty of transgressing that law,
in teaching any child, male or female,
or yet if they were teaching any one,
Catholic or protestant, no matter who
it be young or old, according to this
accursed alien law that person would
be guilty of the national crime called
treason-felony. Under that same law
a child, male or female, could not be
sent over the sea to France or Spain
or to any other country to receive in¬
struction or knowledge. The father or
mother or any other friend who would
help or assist the child to receive
instruction at home or in any country
no matter what country it should be,
they were all guilty of that scourging
law — treason-felony, which the devilry
of Englishmen enacted against Irish
education. Under that scourge every
unscrupulous Protestant was empower¬
ed to say to the Irishman who was,
perhaps, guilty of the treason-felony
of which I have spoken above: You
have a horse, Peter O'Brien ? but if
you have that horse does not belong
to you henceforth."
"For what reason ?"
"Because you are guilty of treason-
