The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-15
Gaelic and Misery In Ireland.


Idined with FIVE parish priests the other
night. From a strictly secular point Of
view l have found those Irish priests to
be right good fellows. Large numbers Of
them have been educated in France, and
they speak French Latin and Gaelic as
well as they speak English.
Talking OF Gaelic reminds me that l
have forgotten TO say that 1t Is quite COM
mon in the west OF Ireland for the priest
to deliver sermon both in English and
in Irish. There are still old folks in the
mountains and on the isles who can
talk no language but Gaelic. Even
me old people who do talk English
like to hear the gospel preached 70 them
In the ancient tongue OF their forefathers.
There was quite revival OF interest In
the old Irish literature afew years ago,
and many OF the ancient manuscripts OF
he earliest periods OF Irish history were
translated. They are quite remarkable
| literary relics, and some OF them are OF
rare beauty. But, alter all, Goldsmith is
worth CARLOAD OF them. 1t Is not by
looking backward, but by going ahead,
that the glory OF Ireland can be establish
ed, Canon Bourke OF this town has pub.
lished grammar OF the Irish tongue, and
has written several learned books about
the Aryan origin OF the Celtic race and
language, and kindred topics. What q
singular life these Catholic priests do live
in this our 10Th century, Up before the
sun eyery-morning to say mass, listening
| TO the confession OF uncultiyated peasants
and directing their devotions; guiding
them both in social and religious ways,
and now standing between them and fam
inc.
Their daily life here in Ireland explains
the vast and benefcent power of the
church in times OF which not even the
traditions linger in our America. One
reason why the Roman church Is 80 pow
eriul in Ireland is that 1t meets 1t people
at every point OF their lives and every
where provides for the illiterate masses an
education. OF doubtful guide in times Of
peril and OF sorrow. Priests OF all creeds
have often tried TO arrest the march Of
human progress, but 1t would be grave
disaster 10 Ireland II her priests were TO
be removed to-day. The people would be
crushed out, or driven into rebellion by
the worse than bourbon despotism OF the
landed proprietors.
Glare Morris has a population OF 200
families. What say OF It l learned from
the lips Of the curate, Rev. James Corbett.
Out OF the 1000 families in the parish OF
Glare Morris, 500 families mot persons),
two.thirds fthe entire population, are on
the relief list today There are at least
1000 persons receiving their daily food
from the relief committees! The parish
is about ten miles long and about five
miles wide. The average size OF the hold
ings-that is farms-is five or six acres.
The rent charged for them is at least fifty
per cent over the government valuation
made at time when the population was
dense and the land more valuable than 1t
Is now.
Sometimes the rental is twice and even
three times higher than the government
estimate. The average annual rental Is
: 81 los ISL an acre. None OF the land in
the parish could fetch that price for the
fee simple in similar district in the
United States, for one-half Of the parish is
swamp, thin, spare land-wet and un-
drained. The other hall is fair arabic
land. In most cases the tenants there
have to pay extra for the bog-from which
they cut their peat. All Of them (again in
addition TO the rental) pay the whole Of
the road.tax and half OF the poor law rates.