The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
IDELAND'S GAELIC REVIVAL.
FATHER O'FLANAG.AN TELLS OF
PROGRESS ~ TIE WORK.
A Champion orator Discovered IN
Young Fishe?ma2-Tracing Old Irish
words and sonss--Uscful Phases Of
the Work An Art Renaissance.

nlent H. New YORK he cause 81 IL may
be largely traced TO the arrival in America
OF young priest. Father Michael O'Fiana-
IN oy name. who has come from County
Rosconmon to spread the movement, not
only among the fiIll-bloodod Irish people
Who have lately come TO America to seek
their fortune, but also among the descend
ants Of Irish immigrants
In fact. no man OF woman. boy or girl,
with drop of Irish blood in his veins is
too far removed from the stock to discourage
Father o'Flanasan in his attempt TO revive
the natlonalistio. the racial spirit. Not,
he says. that he vans them to DO less
American. but to enrich their Americanism
by the heritage Of their Irish forebears.
He believes that in reawakening the Celt
real service is done 10 the new made
American and his adopted country.
Here in America says Father o'Flana-
gan. won have tho making Of the most
wonderful nation in the world You have
10 choose, in the making Of your citizens.
the best chanctersticS OF every nation.
II seems to Inc that the true America, the
richest, most perfectly developed America.
would he the America in which the racial
characteristics of its constituents we're not
efTaced but fostercd
in the interests Of recently founded in
dustrial school at Loughlynn in County
Rosoommon in the west Of Ireland where
We have begun To instruct few young
people in ways of earning their own bread
On their own soil We have already de-
ycloped a thriving rug and carpet weaving
industry. we are teaching kitchen gardening
In order that our pupils will know hov To
get the most nourshing food from their
little plots of ground, our manua! training
and domestic science departments are al
ready doing excellent work, and we are now
looking forward 10 evan larger achieve
mentS
we have 40 far confined ourselves 10
the practical task OF ameliorating the in
dustral situation, but in the future we
e1pect 20 take up and carry on the more
Interesting side of the revival. For in
stance. instead of teaching our pupils
foreign art We shall instruct them in an
cient Irish art M 10 the point where its
DEVELOPMENT wa, arrested by conquest.
and will allow them TO developi it as il would
have developed under normal conditions OF
peace and prosperity
In architecture. literature. music and
ali other branches OF race development
we hope To follow out the same general
plan AZ the time the foreign influence
was first imposed upon her. Ireland
was developing a distinctive and char
acteristc art. architecture, music. tera-
ture and set of industries and inventions.
Our aim ia TO g back TO that time and take
up the development OF our national char
scteristcs where it was broken on,
-One OF the strongest revivifyinR in
fuences at the present time Is the feis.'
festival as Gaelic r. its name at which
prizes are offered tor the best essays
IN Gaelic on some subject OF national i'm
por;ance the best folk song, the best
Irish poem. the lest get Of Irish proverbs
and the hest achievements in Irish dancing
oratory. industry, art, music and story
telling.
'Most Of thu 800 branches ~ me Gaelic
League in Ireland give feis' once year.
The amount OF talent that has been brought
to light by their influence is simply astonish-
ing.
For Instance. the champion orator OF
all Ireland at the present day is one Michael
Ruadhri-or Michael Rodgers, 10 give his
name the English pronunciation-a young
fisherman from the west coast Of Ireland
In the County Mayo. All he knew he had
learned from word OF mouth from the
Gaelic speaking people Of his native village,
and he was moro thoroughly grounded
In Irish history tradition, music, literature
and art than many men in our best uni
Versities
-Our labor at this time is largely TO seek
odt the immense fund Of poetry. tradition
and know ledge that lies hidden away in
the minds Of our old men and women and
preserve 1t before it dies out and is lost to
rs forever
The discoveries in Irish phonetics con-
tanned in my own little text book on Irish
were largely made from the pronunciation
of an old man whom found bedridden
in the County Sligo. Tho pure tide of his
perfect Gaelic had never been defiled by
a single English word and he had pre-
served intact the ancient and traditional
pronunciation of the Irish words.
From an aged woman who spoke only
Gaelic got thirty-six ancient Irish proverbs
that had been practically dead for gen ra-
tons. From another old woman in the
Arran Isles l learned the words. music
and movements Of the traditional spinning
dance and 3 ng which had come down
TO her through uncounted generations.
I found her in the typical hut Of the
Arran Isles She was a little old body
verging upon 90. but she was "a nimble
and as spry as a cricket and her face
beamed and twinkled with that Celtic joy
which the English speaking Cets have lost
with the acquisition of their English.
As | entered she was nt her wheel, the
thread in her hand and her feet moving
rnerrily back and forth in the ancient spin
ping dance to the rhythm Of her spinning
song There was no eight-hour day for her
She worked from sunrise 10 sunset, spinning
away at her ancient hand wheel TO the
rhythm Of ber singing and her dancing, but
the dance and the song ghtened her work
and she was never tried.
She could speak to me only in Gaelic, but
when she spoke 20 the little grandchild
that was tumbling about the rooms, she
seemed To be able to make use Of nothing
but her two CT three words Of English. Good
old soul! In her simple mind she believed
II due 70 the child to lead it TO forget its ma
tive tongue and 10 bring it up 70 speak the
language that would bring il recognition
and power and remunerative work in tho
great world. We are leading them 10 feel