The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-07-01


speaking and poetry there was no tongue
not even excepting the Greek-ever
spoken on this planet that could surpass
the Irish known to their ancestors for
power and expression.
AT the meeting there appeared num-
Der OF delegates from the Welsh eistedd-
fod and the Highland mod, several of
whom spoke and sung in Gaelic. Mr..
Mcfarland, who made short address
in Highland Gaelic, appeared to be un-
derstood by majority OF those present,
but not many could follow Mr.. Thomas,
who spoke in Welsh Afterward he
spoke in English and said that he
brought to the Gaelic league and its
work the greeting of 100000 Welsh
speaking men and women He hoped
that they would be able to do in Ireland
as great work in the revival of the
national language as had been done in
Wales, where the language was in uni
versal use, and even in the day schools
the language was taught In the course
OF some statistics with regard to Welsh
the speaker mentioned the fact that there
were no fewer than 1856 magazines and
newspapers in Welsh published in Wales.
Last year us much as $I,ooo,ooo was
spent in the principally on Welsh liter
ature.
All OF this shows that the entire Gel
tic race OF the British isles is deeply in
terested in the Gaelic revival in Ireland.
The reading OF a number OF kilograms in
Gaelic from England, Scotland, Wales
and America created much enthusiasm
in the audience. At meeting at which
the lord mayor presided resolution in
troduced by DR., Douglas Hyde was
passed demanding the introduction into
Irish primary education in the Irish
speaking districts of the bilingual sys-
TEN, measure which has been success
fully adopted in Wales by the English
council OF education. A large number
OF prizes were given for the teaching OF
Irish in the public schools, for folklore
and folksongs and for other compcti-
tions. Also prizes were given for the
invention Of words by the combination
OF Gaelic radicals for use as scientific,
literary and technical terms.
One OF the pleasantest incidents of the
festival was the reading OF poem to
DIR. Hyde by T. D. Sullivan, M. P,
author OF the so-called national anthem,
God Save Ireland" and who more than
once has visited and lecturcd in Chicago.
His poem to DR.. Hyde is humorous as
we'll as sympathetic and the last three
verses are as follows:
When you must leave It's
And sore twill grievc us,
But soon or late all must go that road
Well all be saying
And fo1dly praying
May paradise be your next abode
A welcome surely,
In Irish purely,
SAINT Patrick, also SAINT Columbkille,
Will give you, hearin'
That in faithful Erin
The tongue they preached in is living
still.
There you'll be meeting
Old Godfrey Keating;
The great four masters you'll gladly sec;
/ know you'll hurry
To greet O'Curry,
And many an Ollamh OF high degree,
Together walking
You'll oft be talking
In Gaelic speech OF the Gaelic cause,
OF new translations,
And publications;
OF the Senchus Nor and the Brel,on
Laws.
But ere you go there,
Such bliss to know there,
May your days be long in your native
land;
She still is needing
The light and leading
OF your well-stored brain and your skill
full hand.
May poets sing you,
May each day bring you
From grateful hearts scattered far and
wide, -. d..
Thanks, blessings, praises,
In Gaelic phrases,
"Mo creeven eeven," dear Douglas
Hyde.
In the course Of his address Cardinal
Logue advertcd to the communicating
influence OF British literature and said:
Any one knows, as l know to my
sorrow, and as many heads OF families
know, that we never had in Irish that
broad and fctid stream OF corruption
which is flooding the country at the
present day through English literature
Wherever the Irish language is spoken
the people are pure and innocent, and
it is only where this flood comes in,
which is not merely flood now but
torrent, that if there is not care taken by
the priests and the clergymen of every de-
nomination and by the heads OF families,
the flood will corrupt the innocence of
the youth of holy Ireland Sneak to me