The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-04-25
IRISH IRELAND.
Continued on Page ~

many concerts have been given at
which the songs were entirely in Irish
and of the concerts held throughout the
country during this last season the pro-
portion at which a number of Gaelic
songs were not sung was small. TINS
winter also there are but few towns OF
villages in Ireland in which Gaenc
classes do not flourish.
The commissioners of national edu-
cation have been forced to concede new
privileges in favor of the teaching OF
Irish in the schools. If taught as an
extra subject, the substantial fee of los.
per head for all pupils to whom it is
taught effectively is awarded. They
have conceded that it may be taught as
an ordinary subject in all schools; and
the natural result of these concessions
is that a great number of managers
have already established the teaching
of it in the schools under their patron
age; and a still greater number will,
within very short time Gas. soon as
their teachers are prepared to under
take it, have esta blished it.
.
There are in Ireland, according 10 the
last census, nearly 100000 people who
are Irish speaking, and of these about
10000 speak Irish only. Among this
Gaelic-s speaking population, by far the
/ greater portion of which is found along
the western and southern seaboards,
the organizers are at work, preaching
the gospel of the Gaelic league, and
pressing home it's principles; so that,
while the English-speaking portion of
our country is at work recovering a
literal knowledge of their language, the
| language in its idiomatic, vigorous,
spoken form, as it still exists, may not
be allowed to disappear from among
the mountains where it has so persist
emily chung.
Because this is the twentieth century
q had almost said although this is the
twentieth century,, L know there are
many people who would ask what is
the use of reviving the Irish language.
To some of these people it would be
impossible an give an answer because
they do not realize the meaning of the
word use" and so soulless are they
that they consider nothing is useful I'M
less they can eat it, wear it, look at it,
strike it with a brassy, or make it ring
upon counter. So-although l might
Il shall not trouble striving to answer
such people at any length; would only
say: The Gaelic league is not, as many
seem to think, entirely without its prac-
teal side, for, owing to its powerful in
fluence upon the youth of the country,
fresh impetus has been given to all
branches of Irish industry-with one
bare exception. The workers in the
pie and precept the patronizing of all
things Irish, in preference to imported
materials. They advocate, and have adj
vocated, this with a success that is
highly pleasing. They have also
preached most effectively against treat
ing, drinking, gambling, against i'm
morality and vulgarity in the theatre
and music hall and concert hall, and
against inanity and vulgarity in liter
ature.
But people who, like you, my reader,
realize that man is something more
than an animal, recognize that we have
to consider many things other thaS
what we shall eat and wherewith we
shall be clothed, and that such other
things have their use in the Divine plan
"a use rather greater, as it is loftier,
than the use which the mere material
list understands. Any language is a |
precious Inheritance; it is the golden |
deposit that the streams of thought |
have, through ages, been carrying down |
to a people from the mountains of the |
past; and leading European philologists !
of the present day-as we'll as of days |
past-have agreed in acknowledging |
that, in the case of the Celtic race, the
language which is their inheritance is |
many times richer than the language of
most other peoples of our time. If, |
wantonly, we cast away our inher-
itance, or if, vilely, we barter it for a |
mess of pottage, we would richly merit i
eternal obliquy.
We who subscribe to the doctrines of |
the Gaelic league believe too, in the
aphorism, mo language, no nation. (
We naturally wish to preserve our ma
tional distinctiveness; and 1 fancy that.
in this, we would have the support of
not merely those who think with us
politically, but likewise of all right |
thinking. sincere people, who. while
holly opposed to us in many things
still maintain that they are Irish and
that they wish to remain Irish Grad +
ually, but truly, we were losing this ma
tional distinctiveness. We were los
ing it in about the same ratio in which
the census. decade after decade. showed
that our language was slipping from
US. Very soon, had not the Gaelic
league sprung up, our national charac-
teristics would have been either com
pletely or mostly submerged, and we
would have been respectable English
speaking Britons inhabiting an island !.
called Ireland. ] wonder how many
amongst you who are English and i'm
perialistic in your sympathies would
have blessed this consummation? And
wonder, too, how many amongst you
would have come to curse it? f.