The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-26

When George Moore and W. B. Yeats produced their play, "Grania and Dar- muid,' at the Irish Literary theatre in Dublin few years ago. they hesitated for a long time whether it should be play ed in English or Gaelic.
 It was founded on an old Gaelic legend and was Gaelic in spirit and construction. As artists they felt that it ought to be played in Gaelic. But could Dublin sup ply an audience that understood Gaelic? They decided it could not, and turned the play into English.
 More people in this city," said MT. Moore, would understand Greek than Gaelic"
 Within a few months he had to take back his words. Other plays were pro- duced in Gaelic at the same theatre, and were applauded by large audiences who understood them.
 Gaelic songs and Gaelic books became fashionable, and teachers of the ancient tongue in Doublin outnumbered all the professors of French, German, Latin and Greek put together.
 "The common use of the Gaelic tongue, which will awaken old customs, and in- dustries and tenant ownership" said an Irish Catholic bishop a short time be- fore the revival of Gaelic, 'are the two things we now need to make a new Ire land"
 The Irish land bill, now before parlia- ment, which has for it's object the lend
 ing of $50O,00O000 to the Irish tenants for the purpose of buying out their landlords. .feae. Of 4I ,,a1 by the bishop as essential to the creation of new and better Ireland.
 The second factor, the Gaelic revival, is one of the most remarkable features of Irish life. Never before has the dying tongue of a people been resuscitated so quickly.
 The desire to learn Gaelic has attacked everybody from the duke to the laborer. If a man cannot speak the ancient lan- guage he Is of small account in any society in Ireland today.
 Until a few years ago, the landed gentry and nobility of Ireland, almost without exception, took pride in not knowing the language of their own coun- try. Now they nearly all speak Gaelic and heartily support the revival of old Irish customs and industries.
 In a word, Ireland has led her con- querors captive. The Anglo-Saxon gar rison, the planters" are as much in sympathy with the new movement as any descendant of the ancient kings could be. Having learned Gaelic, and read the old poems and legends. they find Ireland too interesting to leave They no longer care to be absentee landlords.
 The new crusade of Irish nationalism has enlisted in its ranks the greatest of the unionist nobility. It has no more en- thusiastic advocate than the Countess of Dudley the wife of the lord lieutenant of Ireland.
 Her hobby in England was to ransack toy shops for the benefit of poor chill dren in hospitals, orphanages and con valescent homes. She would call at a hospital incognito and ask the matron for list of names of the boys and girls under her charge. Having got this, she would go to the nearest toy shop and buy a handsome present for each of them.
 When she accompanied her husband to Ireland, Lady Dudley succumbed at once to the contagion of the Gaelic move- ment. In a few weeks she was taking regular lessons in the ancient tongue, or ganizing competitions in Gaelic poetry, reviving the old Irish sports and cus- toms, and doing her best to develop the 1 ancient Irish industries such a Limerick lace making.
 A number of Irish women headed by i the Countess of Dudley and other peer esses, have organized a society to teach ] poor Irish girls how to make lace after 1 the beautiful old patterns that made | Limerick lace so valuable long ago. This | society runs shops in London and other | English cities to sell the lace after 1t is made.
 With such strong support behind 1t, | Limerick lace is becoming a fad in Eng | land, and big prices are paid for it, to | the advantage of the Irish girls who make it.
 The Earl of Dudley cordially indorses the Gaelic movement. He has frequently ! the oldest and most picturesque | of Irish sports-the open-air dances at | the crossroads on Sunday afternoon and he has danced with the peasant girls with keen enjoyment.
 The earls example has been followed | by such influential Irish noblemen as the | Marquis of Waterford, Lord Drogheda, | Lord Mayo Lord Donoughmore. Lord | Cork and Orrery, Lord Dunraven. Lord | Downe, Lord Powerscourt and Lord Baltimore.
 Thus the Gaelic revival has drawn | landlord and tenant together and created | a feeling of mutual understanding and sympathy which Is largely responsible for the new Irish land bill.
 When the Society for the Preservation of the Irish language first started it's work, many years ago, Irish was not taught in any of the popular schools and i and was only spoken by some of the peasantry in. the west. The only | classes for Irish were those at the Ro- man Catholic colleges of St. Jarlath and | 
 Now, professorships in Irish have been i founded in all the leading colleges; Irish | is taught in the national schools; Irish | speaking inspectors are sent to those | schools and Irish Is used as medium for in Irish-speaking districts.
 Another powerful factor which is con-