The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-07-30
IRISH IRELAND
Will Eventually Result From the
Restoration of the Irish
Language.
The Bishop of Ross Says Ireland
Must Work Out an Irish
Civilization.

The Bishop of Ross, in opening inc
Carberry Feis, said 'anglicization was
taking place not only in the language
but in the thoughts, the ideals. the
standards, the manners, the dress, and
the food of our people. The Gaeli:
League" said his lordship, "has for
it's object to revive the Irish spirit, to
restore the Irish language, to send
coursing through our brains lrisE
thoughts, to fire our hearts with the
love of our country, and to give us an
admiration for it's history and it's ira
their language and of their customs
and manners, their history and tradl-
tions-I do not mean those customs
and characteristics which the violence
of the Penal Laws drove into the souls
of our ancestors during the 18th CEN
fury. such as fear, timidity. hopeless
ness. duplicity, many social habits,
and even some Of our religious observ-
ances. Those characteristics are the
relics of the slavery of that wicked
century, and we have reason to be
ashamed Of them, and the sooner we
get rid of them the better. (ApplauseD
But the Gaelic League wants to take
us back behind that century, to that
long and glorious period of twelve
hundred years, from the time of ST.
Patrick down to the 18th century, and
to reproduce in Irish life all that was
best and noblest during that long peri
cd. (Applause) Now, the language
movement is a branch of the Gaelic
movement; it is, no doubt, an import
ant branch, but there are other
branches also. We must, as l said,
send coursing through the brains OF
the Irish people the current of Irish
thought; we must reproduce Irish civ
ilization. We are Of the Celtic stock,
and there are certain ideals that are
congenial to us; there are certain lines
Of thought that are peculiar to us, and
we had been working out civilization
Of our own before it was interrupted
by persecution, and we want to resume
the threads of that civilization. CAP
plause.) Now, Anglicization not only
tainted the language, but all sources
of Irish life. tHear, hear) The Gaelic
movement has been doing splendid
work for the language; they are max.
ing great and hopeful progress: bu
they must also not forget those othel
sources of Irish life that have beer
tainted by Angliczation. applause.
We want to live life of our own: W.
want to cut ourselves away from thu
customs and the ideals and the stan
dards of England, and it is just as con
ceivable that the whole nation nigh
become bi-lingual, and yet you nigh
not restore the real Irish spirit. There
fore we must value to the utmost tn
history of our country. applause.
We must be convinced that this is a
ancient nation whose history goe
back for thousands of years, and tina
when the strongest nations in Europ
and across the Atlantic were only saw
ages. Now, if we have that idea {
our country we will work for our coun
try, and we will stick to our oountr,
(Hear, hear) We must be Irish M
only in language, but in thought, dres
food manners, standards and ideals
we must, as said. work out an Iris
civilization. (Applause)