The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-12-26
.iNCIENT IREL.1ND.
Philadelphia Catholic Standard


Ever since the Normans invaded Ireland
in the twelfth century, the ancient Irish
annals, and the ideas, customs, habits and
names of the people have been buried
in obscurity aud unknown to the rest of
the world. England's policy was utterly
to abolish everything distinctively Irish.
The language, the literature and, later on,
the creed of the people were prescribed.
After long and desperate struggle, pro-
tracted for centuries, dark and dense
cloud settled over the history of ancient
Ireland, as we'll as over the people. The in
vasion of Ireland was justified on the
ground that the people were only a mob of
savages withoutlaw or settled government.
Even in our own day Froude, in his His
tory, and in his lectures reiterated this old
fslsehood, and on it based the justification
of Englaud's rule over Ireland.
In some respects the obscurity which COW
cred Irish history and Celtic literature is
influence of England. OF late years q
number of distinguished scholars-O'C Curry,
O'Donovan, Zeuss, etc., both Irish and
German, have laid open Celtic literature
to the world, and many Celtic treatiees
have been translated into English. Let the
average reader take up one of these, such
as "The Wars of. the Gaedhill and the
Call and he will stumble on such persons
as " Toirdheldhach" aud " Domchadh SOD
of Amhalgaidh, King of the Eoghauacht Va
n Eochach," and he will find that these
mysterious kings of people no one ever
heard of, lived in places such as q" Snamh
Ereda and Cairraighe." This does not
seem very interesting. and one is apt to
think that people who had such out
landish names must be either my thical or
savage!
Only lately, Frasers Magazine. the Ed
inburgh ReUeW and the London Quarterly,
have been discussing Celtic and ancient
Irish laws aud institutions. Sir H. S.
Maine, distinguished English scholar and
antiquary, in his History of Institutions
has devoted considerable attention to the
Brehon laws. 1t seems to be now accepted
as an acknowledged fact that the antiquity
of the population is very great. Its civili-
cation was fully equal to that of the con-
temporaneous peoples, and the laws which
governed them were framed on principles
Of natural Justice. There is a great sim
ilarity between the old Brehon laws and
the institutes of the Hindoos and the tide
of primeval emigration which started
from Armenia or Syria, pouring westward
to Ireland and eastward to India, has left
the indeIible traces of antiquity in both
countries.
The ancient Irish built stone edifces,
they worked mines of gold and silver, they
had vestments etc., ornaments of great
beauty and displayed marks of skill and
workm auship. They were brave, aud their
religion, which consisted in the worship
of the natural elements, is the Oldest and
the purest form of paganism: No doubt
for centuries they retained the primevat
truth of the existence of one God, prac
ticed the natural virtues, and looked for
the coming Messiah. They, therefore,
found favor with God, and when st. Patrick
arrived his teachings found a ready recep-
tion in the minds of q people already pre-
pared to receive them.
1t is very common to speak of the con-
quest of Ireland by England. But such
conquest never yet took place. The Nor
mans conquered both England and part
of Ireland, as well as the northern part of
France and the southern portion of Italy.
They were q conquering race. In course
of time the Normans, Saxons and Danes,
settled in England, amalgamsted into one
people, but the Anglo-NOrman settlers in
ireland adopted many Irish ideas and Gus
toms. The real Irish remained in posses
sion of most of Ireland until, in fact, Crom-
wells time. And Crom welrs cOnquests
were the victories Of one English party over
not only the divided Irish, but also
over the Scots aud the Royalists in Eng
| land.
4 conquered people bears the marks of
| slavery and subjugation, but the Irish
people do not. Their national spirit,
| whether it shows itself in the form OF fin
surrectionary movements or in Repeal and
H:mc Ra,e agitation is evidently u=coa