The Irish standard., 1909-02-27
VIEWS OF OTHERS.
PHILIP BARRON
A Patriot Who Tried to Revive the
Irish LANGUAGE.

A Patriot Who Tried to Revive the
Irish Language. .t
Editor of the Irish Standard:
Some time ago you published an
article on the Irish language in which
reference was made to Philip Barron,
of Waterford, who made an effort in
1886 to revive the vernacular Ian
guage of Erin, and of whom 1t was
said: "The means he proposed to
employ were the establishment Of a
college in which Irish was to be ex-
clusively taught, and the compilation
and publishing of elementary works
to facilitate its acquisition, but the
attempt failed; and until recently the
study Of Gaelic has been left to the
Germans" The case is stated correct
ly, but a few moro facts might be in
order.
Twas born and bred within stones
throw of the college that Mr.. Barron
erected but never opened, in glen of
picturesque beauty in the county of
Waterford about 10 miles west of the
Urbs 1ntacta; and am able to give
some recollectionsc Of the patriotic
Irishman as ,'T heard them from
my fathers lips. It Is now about
seventy-five years since Philip Bar
ron was editor and proprietor of the
Waterford Chronicle, a paper which is
still in existence, or was twenty
years ago. He was, an enthusiastic
patriot who would pass nowadays for
an advanced Irish Nationalist. Not
only did he fight the enemies of his
country and creedein the columns of
his paper, but he frequently perforat-
ed their bodies with bullets from his
unerring pistols He was noted du-
elist who was often on the field of
honor in vindication of his principles.
When not fighting duels, he was In
the courts for libel, and as the judges
who then administered justice in Ire
land had "risen on their country's
ruins to fame it can readily be seen
that the champion of Irish nationality
usually got the worst of IT,
On one occasion he castigated a
landlord, for cruelty to his tenants,
was brought into court and heavily
fined by partisan Judge and pack
ed Jury. He paid the fine to the land:
lord in quarterly installments; but
when he went to.make the last pay
ment the "village tyyrant" was not at
home. He had hear4 that Barron car
ried brace of pistols and would
challenge him to~a duel. The result
was that Barron never paid the. fine in
full, the landlord thinking 1t safer
not to have him call again.
When young fellow, l met cou-
sin Of Barron's, 9 lady on whose &C.
count he fought duel with British
officer. The military fop had insulted
her when young woman, while a
guest at q Waterford hotel, and she
told Philip Of the occurrence. The
Saxon soldier, too naughty to apollo
gize. was given his quietus the fol-
lowing day by a bullet from Barron's
revolver. That's how they treated in
suffers Of women In the good old days
IN the Emerald Isle.
The name of Philip Barron appears
in Irish ecclesiastical history. A priest
Of that name in the 18th century was
q prolific writer and a man of great
erudition. His namesake, the editor.
was also a great scholar and famous
linguist, who excelled In knowledge
Of the Celtic tongue and spoke 1t with
Auency and grammatical accuracy.
Being an estated gentleman Of means
he began the erection Of college on
hts own land for the cultivation of
Irish literature, buts through some a.
nancial embarrassment the structure
was never completed, and Barron left
for France where he entered one OF
the universities az - professor Of lam
guages.
Before leaving ireland for France,
he had published elementary works
Id Irish, In one ofWhith appeared the
following words winch / have neyer
forgotten: ut Il a shame 70 be q
ss,s 81 q