138
AN GAODHAL.
SIXTEENTH YEAR.
With this month (Nov) the GAEL
enters on its sixteenth year, full of
life and hope. When the move¬
ment which gave birth to the Gael
was brought into being 24 years a¬
go, the condition of the Irishman
was very sad, indeed. He was des¬
pised and hated by his powerful
enemies (social and political) all o¬
ver the land as a lowly, ignorant
being not to be permitted to aspire
to any station but that of "hewer
of wood and drawer of water," and
he generally shaped his actions as
if conscious that that was the con¬
dition which fate had allotted him,
for he feared to reveal his iden¬
tity, — to-day he is feared and res¬
pected. Why? Because you, Gaels,
by your patriotic endeavors, have
educated him, — and them, — into
a sense of his social standing; so
that he stands to his full height to
day, conscious that he is, at least,
the equal of any member of the
community to which choice or ne¬
cessity may assign him. But tho'
this be true of the Irishman vers¬
ed in his language and literature
yet he who is ignorant of it and com¬
pelled to express his thoughts and
sentiments in the language of his
hated oppressor, can not stand to
his full height, for he is forced
down with the inward conscious¬
ness that he is wanting in a some¬
thing the possession of which is an
indispensable accessary to the en¬
joyment of the full fruition of an
independent nationalism.
Yes, 24 ago years Irishmen pursu¬
ing learned (?) professions asked us
"Had the Irish language an alpha¬
bet?" What is the condition to-day?
Through you, Gaels, the language
is being taught in all the leading
colleges and universities of Europe.
in a large number of the common
schools in Ireland, and in hundreds
of Gaelic leagues and societies est-
ablished in Ireland and America for
teaching it. And also in America
a Gaelic Chair has been founded
in the Catholic University, and an¬
other in Harvard University, Cam¬
bridge, Mass. With this splendid
result of your patriotic exertions,
Gaels, you should endeavor to in¬
crease the circulation of your little
journal to half a million within
the coming year.
Irishmen never had such cause
for rejoicing as they have to-day
for the old "lion" is on the run, —
Nodlaic shúgach agus Bliadhain Úr
sheunmhar ag gach aon agaibh, a Theagar¬
thóra an Ghaodhail.
Pres. O'Connor of the A. O. Hibernians hand¬
ed the Endowment Fund of $50,000 contributed
by the Order to establish the Irish Chair in the
Catholic University to his Eminence, Cardinal
Gibbons, as Chancellor of the University, on
Oct. 22nd. His Eminence graciously received the
gift. There was a large audience present inclu¬
ding Church dignatories, prominent offices of
the Order and other laics. His Eminence made
a brillant address in which he profusely thank¬
ed the Order for its patriotism. But that part
of it in which his Eminence said. —
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, in founding
this Chair, is moved chiefly by sentiments of gra¬
titude and veneration for the past services of the
Gaelic tongue. It was by no means the intention
of introducing the Gaelic as a spoken language,"
was very disappointing to a large number of the
contributors to the Fund ; as was, also, the omi¬
ssion of Archbishop McHale and Canon Bourke'
names (the founders of the movement) from the
list of those said to have labored to preserve the
language. Nevertheless, they will not be forgot¬
ten; and the object of the Gaelic Movement is —
and has been — the revival and the re-introduction
of the Gaelic as the spoken language of Ireland,
with English as an accompaniment.
The National Convention lately held in Dublin
was opened with prayer in Irish by the Rev.
Father McFadden of Donegal.
Mr. O'Flannelly, of London, England, is pub¬
lishing an Irish English and English-Irish dic¬
tionary, in two volumes of 500 pages each.
Mr. P J Craig intends to bring out a new edi¬
tion of his "Modern Irish."
The Nuns of St. Louis, Monaghan, are very
successful in teaching Irish, one of their pupils,
Miss Cleary, got a £2 prize lately.
