The Irish standard., 1909-05-22

The following interesting interview
the new Catholic University OF ireland
appeared in a recent number of the
Catholic Press of Sydney. N. s. w. His
Eminence said:
II am in sympathy with the National
Convention held in Dublin. and with
the various Irish corporations who
have expressed the opinion that the
Irish language should be made a COM
pulsory subject in the new national
university" said his Eminencr, unhes-
itatingly. "The whole question of th-
national university Is as yet problem.
IT may have been devised to block
the way of Irish nationality and Of
Home Rule, OF 1t may be destined to
promote the national cause and to re-
move some of those obstacles that
block the way Of Home Rule. My de-
sire is that twill promote the national
caus. and lead on to tIome Rule. and.
etom the election ,of the, Archbishop Of
Dublin as chancellor. ana Of Mr.. Rob-
ert Donovan as secretary, + am conf
dent such will be the destiny Of our
national university. But. to pursue
that course. It is essential that the
new university be thoroughly irish and.
as such the Irish language must be
a compulsory" subject for matricula
ton.
There is no more important factor
In the cause of nationality than the
promotion of the national language.
For instance. In the struggles of the
Czech, or Bohemian race to maintain
it's national life. the matter of Ian
guage was most important element in
it's success. Fifty years ago 1t seemed
as IL the Czech national life was ex
tinct, but at the present day there Is
no nationality in Europe more vigor-
Gus and displaying greater energy. |
am. confident that In another twenty
years the same triumph will await the
national spirit of Ireland through the
cultivation of the Irish language. Still,
I fully agree with the Senate Of the Ma
tiollal University and with the commit
tec Of the Irish Bishops that an cx-
ception might be made for the first or
second year of matriculatiOn. II would
serve to strengthen the rule that the
language must be compulsory sub
ject, and, at the same time. 1t is wise
and prudent, SO as not to exclude at
the outset the humblest 1rishman who
might wish to avail OF the advantages
of the national university, and might
not BE- equipped with a knowledge Of
the language. give no weight to the
difficulty some have advanced that
making the Irish language compulsory
for matriculation would shu- c%t stu
dents from England, and, perhaps,
from some countries Of the Continent,
because English aspirants have their
own universities at hand, and IL they
wish to. avail themselves OF re Irish
National University they must con-
form to Irish ideals and irish methods
I'VE may consider the Irish Ian
guage the living language Of Ireland
at the present day, and rs such 1t is
hest suited to express Irish sentiments
and ideals, In other words, If Ireland
is to be a nation she must have her
own language as her national stand
ard. The leading philologists of Eu-
rope and America at the present day
recognize. Irish is Of vital import
ance. have myself. when examining
some Of the old manuscripts in, Trinity
College, Dublin, met with leading rep
resentatives of German philology who
had Travelled ali the. way from their
Town country to embellish their studies
by the examination of the carly Celtic
manuscripts. It is now generally rec
ognized that the ancient Celtic Ian
guage is the common SOURCE from
which the other ancient languages
known to us have been derived. There