LATEST GAELIC NOTES.
At Galway, on Thursday, 25th January, the Most Rev. Dr. M‘Cormack presided at a great meeting, the object of which was to found a branch of the Gaelic League. Dr. Hyde, Mr. Cusack, Mr. Meehan, and Fr. O’Growney, attended and spoke. Several of the Galway priests. Father Dooley, Father Hayden, S.J.; Father Conway, &c., and influential citizens, also addressed the meeting. Irish classes are now in full working order, a library of Irish books is being formed, the local booksellers have promised to procure all necessary works, and the local press has taken up the cause warmly. It is the intention of the League to send speakers to any Irish-speaking district in which they will receive a welcome.
Dr. Hyde recently lectured in the Irish Literary Society of Dublin on the characteristics of the native language and literature. Dr. Sigerson presided, and there was a large audience.
Within the past few months several lectures have been delivered on Irish music. Sir R. Stewart in Dublin, and Mr. Graves in London, have tried to explain the secret of the beauty of the old Irish music. One of the features of the Galway meeting of the Gaelic League was the presence of a famous Galway piper, who played the maidrin ruadh, and many other pieces of similar character. At the same meeting, the audience had an opportunity of witnessing some excellent specimens of Irish dancing.
In Glasgow, on 30th January, Fr. O'Growney lectured to the Gaelic Society on the place of Scotland in the ancient Gaelic literature.
Mr. Yeats recently delivered in London a very interesting lecture on Folk-lore, and one of the subsequent speakers made a statement which has created quite a commotion in Irish circles. It is that some of the descendants of the unfortunate 20,000 Irish people deported by Cromwell to the West Indies have preserved their mother-tongue. West Indian sailors who speak Irish are now and then met with at the docks of London. It would be of the greatest interest to ascertain what is the precise form of the language they speak, and whether they have adopted the same changes as the Gaels of Scotland, who, about the same time, ceased to have any connection with Ireland.
The Celtic Monthly for February is a distinct advance on its predecessors. Articles of Scothish history, scenery, language and music (and its relation to Irish music), and stories of national life, makeup a splendid number.
Our next issue will contain some Gaelic from the Glens of Antrim; and some notes on an Irish translation of Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” made by a native of Mitchels- town, County Cork.
Our Lessons in Irish.
In another column we begin a series of simple lessons, which are intended not only to teach students the vocabulary of Irish, and the construction and idiom of the language, but also to give some idea of the pronunciation. The system upon which the lessons are constructed is explained fully in the lessons themselves. A word may be said here as to the circumstances which led to their first publication in the Weekly Freeman, from which they are now reprinted. Some time in October last, the Archbishop of Dublin suggested to Father O’Growney that something should be done, if possible, to assist those who are anxious to study the native language, but who lose courage when they find that, from the existing elementary books, they can learn little or nothing of the pronunciation of the language. The Archbishop’s suggestion was, that after each Irish word should be given as near an approximation to the pronunciation as could be attained by the use of some simple phonetic system. A few days later, Mr. Maurice Healy, M.P., published a series of letters, in which he went so far as to say that the traditional spelling should be abolished, and a purely phonetic or hography introduced. Father O'Leary, P.P., of Castlelyons, wrote to the very opposite effect, contending that it was impossible to represent phonetically the sound of the language. This contention we shall examine at some other time.
The moment seemed favourable for giving some help to those thousands of Irish people who are only too anxious to know something of their mother-tongue, but who do not know how to set about acquiring it.
It was proposed to the Weekly Freeman that a course of easy lessons, based principally on the lines suggested by Dr. Walsh, should be published from week to week. The Editor of the Weekly Freeman welcomed the proposal cordially, and the lessons were forthwith begun, and were warmly received.
The lessons are now reprinted, so that they may, be fore appearing in book form, have the benefit of the suggestions and criticism of our readers. Other simple lessons [ 251 ]in the idiom and grammar of the language will follow, and easy texts, such as that given in another part of this number, will be prepared. Suggestions upon the lessons, and contributions towards the publication of the books, may be sent to Father O’Growney, Maynooth, Ireland. The Archbishop of Dublin has already promised a contribution of £10, and Mr. J. J. Murphy, Cork, the same sum.