The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-18
The Language of the Emerald Isle
Prominent in Song and Speech
at a Recital of Worcester
Students
ADDRESS GIVEN BY
RICHARD H. MOONEY
The History and Beauty of the
Tongue Traced Through Many
Centuries and its Prospects for
a Place Among the Languages
of the World Set Forth


OF the world Sci F0rIn
The words of the Rev canon UhcK
J. Bourke, THE inhabitants of every
nation love and cherish their own ma
"a 'ioii ~ an y 49,,
IiollaI existence Our IAN uase anu o"i
literature constitute our special nation
al life Let them perish-then. the life
~ 1ri.,, a4io1, ,,,ob hoe exis-
! "a 'iie - '.'-i
tence no longer, were the Keynote OF
the third entertainment of the Worces-
for Gaelic 7. aas,,a last night at A. O. Fl.
HAL
The hall was filled to the doors ana
the stirring words of the speakers COM
bined with the singing of the musical
| Irish airs brought forth round after
round of applause The principal adj
dresses of the evening were by Richard
H. Mooney, principal of the Quinsiga-
mond grammar school and by P. Fer
ritor of Chelsea. Mr.. Ferritor spoke in
| Gaelic.
The Introductory address was given
by Rev. j. A. Hurley, Of st. John s
Church who is the honorary president
| of the Worcester League. FIR. Hur
| leys address was short but brought
| forth many expressions in favor of the
resurrection of the Gaelic language in
| every Irish home that struck chord
of approval with his hearers. The open
ing chorus by pupils of the Gaelic
League was very good. Mr.. Moneys
address was listened to attentively. He
| said in part:
"Out of all glory and heroic effort
unequalled in the worlds history, the
| Irish language, the beautiful sweet
powerful and religious gaelic, is all that
! remains to Ireland and this needs a
| revival of spirit, and a renewal of
! strength
THE tongue that hourished in the
CASTLE fell into >decadence in the cot
tage. Native genius no longer strove
| to utter itself in the native tongue, and
| the voice of the Irish nation seemed
still forever in it's own language. But
| it was not the stiffness of death.
1.-THE peasantry of ireland kept alive
| the language of Ireland and the coun-
| try is emerging from the fiery ordeal
with its equipment of language, liter
allure, and song bearing the ineffaca
| BILE stamp of the venerable language
| in it's traditional customs and manners
Thousands are speaking in Gaelic in
| Ireland today. 1t is being preached in
| the churches and taught in the Sun
| day schools; songs are sung and sto-
ries told in the old language. Concerts
and entertainments are being held
where not a single word of English is
spoken and the rising generation of
Ireland will be bi-lingual speaking
| English for commercial purposes and
Irish for social and friendly converse.
1T is admitted by all philologlsts to
be one of the Oldest, the most prolific,
the most musical. and the most express
lsive language ever spoken by man. In
expression of pathos it is unsurpassed. |
IF you plead for your life, plead in
Irish,'' is a well-known adage.
1T was the language of kings cen |
turtles before Chaucer began the soft
ening of the English tongue. 1t is
peculiarly adapted to musical compO- |
sition. In lyrical composition it is con-
sidered superior even to the Italian |
Irish worded music has been admired !
wherever it's melting strains have been
heard Handel was loud in its praise |
Those who know the language WELL !
speak of it in rapturous enthusiasm, as
the noblest vehicle of thought, and the
most faithful interpreter of every
human passion In the sacred treas
ure of Irelands native language are
contained the records of her founda-
! ton her development, and her glory.
"Jeffery, in his essay on the English |
from Chaucer to swift and Pope and
! still downward to Goldsmith. johnson
and Junius attributes its perfection
principally to the genius of Edmund
Burke and some others of his country
men,"
THE English language has not de-
generated in Irish hands ParneI and
his sweet poesy. Sheridarsvith his wis
/ dom. wit. and eloouence: C,rattan Chr
ran. Plunket Flood with their
/ forensic skill. and immortal elouuence:
the heroic devotion of Wolfe Tone. and
the famous speech of the Young martyr
Emmett; Moore and his songs. O'Currv.
O'Donavan and Mooney in their his
tories repIete with Gaelic lore: O'Con-
nell. the Emancfpator: Shiel with his
brilliant rhetoric; Thomas Francis
Meagher and his inspiring oratory: and
2 Charles Stewart P arneIl Think of
| eloouence without these names Think
Eof English literature without 'Gulli- 4
! ver's Travels" without the BATTLE of
the Books" without the "Tale of a
Tub" without the Essay on the Sub
lime and Beautiful without the
Letters on the French Revolution"
without the Thoughts on the Present
Discontents," without the Vicar of
Wakefield, "The Citizen of the
World" 'She Stops to Conquer"
''Tristram Shandy," THE Sentimental
Journey" THE Rivals the school
for Scandal" THE Critic" THE
Taller" and 1.-THE Spectator
THE time is at hand when the Gaze
lie manuscript, treasures of knowledge
and literature, which are to be found
in the archives of the great libraries
not only of Ireland. but of Belgium
Germany, Italy and France. will be ex-
amined, translated. and given to the
world: and the claims of historians