The Irish standard., 1905-08-12

four platforms, one for dancing, one
for music, one for recitation and story
telling, one for examinations in the
language. The crowd moved from
platform to platform as the spirit STIR
red them. Standing to one side and
taking in the whole scene, it was mar
velously picturesque. The sky had
become overcast. We were on the
slopes almost of Galtee Nor. The
clouds lay like great gray heeces on
the sides of the topmost ridge. The
green woods of Erin rose before us,
line behind line, like the ranks of an
army, and there, amidst laughter and
amidst tears, were the merry feet of
children twinkling to the lively Tilt of
the jig or hornpipe, the young men
sending out in the mellifluous south
ern Gaelic their greetings to Patrick
Sarsfield or the son of King James,
while the old story teller sat in front
of group who, with sparkling eyes
and tense faces, listened to one of the
folk tales or old sagas that have their
action on these very slopes and by
these very rivers, and were told round
the hearth of the Gael before Romulus
built the city of the Palatine and
while Homer's songs were still new in
the islands of the Aegean sea.
What is still more marvellous is that
all this is the work of the past six
years. There were three other Feis-
eanna going on in different parts of
Ireland that Sunday, and almost every
day in the summer is signalized some
where by some language celebration,
the whole series eliminating in the
Great Dublin Oireachtas, where the
best of all Ireland meet in competi-
tion. Surely, there has been won
drous change. Poor Eoghan O'Grow-
ney is lying at rest in the Cemetery Of
Maynooth, but the spirit which he did
so much to evoke is marching on to
victory.
The following day we called at the
North Presentation Convent, Cork, by
the invitation of Sister Angela, Father
| Casey's sister, and there we saw
another of the forces making for Irish
Ireland. I we'll remember a time when
to speak of teaching Irish would cast
~kon 1n$f $y,{@ nr1l
lated Irish convent, but, 10 and behold,
here was Irish in full sway. The con-
vent is situated in one of the poorest
| districts of the city, and the Presenta-
| tion Nuns, true to the spirit of their
foundress, devote themselves especial
ly to the welfare of the most neglect
| ed class. The Rev. Mother told me
that they have to give breakfast every
morning to hundreds Of the children.
Only now the rich cities of London
and New York are awaking to the fact
| that thousands of underfed youngsters
are herded in the public schools every
day. This the Christian eyes of the
Irish nuns had seen long ago, and
their self-sacrificing hearts had sup,
piled the remedy.
But the children are delight. They
may be as poor as Jobs turkey, but
they are as smart as lightning. God
has given them great endowment,
and the Sister who showed us speci'
men of the Irish teaching by the Gouin
method told us that there was abso'
lutely no difHcutly in making them
understand ana remember We must
bear in mind IL IL this regard that these
children neyekAsar Irish at home.
Sister AnSsla is the teacher OF
singing, and the work she can get out
of the girls is 'arevelation. And then
the dancing. They have two all-Ire
land prize winners, and 1t would re