The Irish standard., 1912-05-18
Great German Scholar, Who is a
Master of Gaelic, Welcomed by
the Irish People.
Says his Native City of Hamburg
had More Than One Link
With Ireland.
Every Irishman Should be Proud of
Rich Literature of Ireland,
Says DR.. Meyer:

Says Dr. Meyer.
On April 23d the Dublin Corpora
ton presented the Freedom of the
City to DR.. Kuno Meyer, and the Very
Rev. Peter Canon O'Leary. In the
course Of an eloquent address Pro-
fessor Meyer thanked the members of
the Corporation and said that the
unanimity with which it had been
voted. the warm and apprcciativc
words in which it had been conveyed,
the moment in the history of Ireland
which they had chosen for this cere-
mony, and the fact that he found
himself associated with his revercd
friend. Canon O'Leary, whose name
will go down to posterity as that Of
| the greatest Irish writer of this age
all these circumstances combined to
enhance the value and Significance Of
| their gift. He was proud to be en-
| rolled a Freeman and Burgess. of this
ancient and historic city. and to have
his name inscribed by the side OF her
many illustrious sons, who, i'm tho
| past, had each in his own way lab
| ored and fought for the country which
had now adopted him. He was re-
| Warded richly and beyond expectation
by the recognition which his work in
1 the -ratrse-of Irish letters and atudIes
had thus obtained at the hands of a
generous people. far beyond the small
circle of scholars, fellow workers and
pupils. 1t was q new bond which
tied him to a city and country, in
| which he had many dear friends-u
country which by the nature of his
studies was never out of his mind. and
| which a lifelong occupation with it's
| history and literature had taught him
to live with an affection second onlv
TO that which he bore to his native
land
MET With Napper Tandy."
| HIS native city Of Hamburg had in
the past more than ono link with Irc-
land, and one of these associations
was brought home to him with a new
significance when he remembered that
his grandfather in that city OF Ham
p"rs dld actually talk with Napier
randy and did take him by the hand,
as his father often told him as n how
, long before he ever heard of the
wearing or the green--hc seemed to
feel that his connection with Ireland
extended even beyond his own life.
Again his thoughts were carried hack
70 un>e' more than a generation ago,
when he heard the first accents of
Gaelic speech in the Highlands Of
Scotland; when at Leipzic he began
his Irish studies with his revered mas
ter, Windisch, to the time of his first
visit to Dublin and his first acquaint-
ance with Whitley Stokes, Hcnnessv
John Fleming. and later on with
Father O'Growney. 1t was a. different
ireland TO which he came now. and
In nothing was the difference more
marked than in the regard which they
represent were now being held. He
venturcd to say that NO other people
would at such a moment have remem-
bered the claims of letters and learn
ing. But Celtic nations had at all
times thought more of spiritual than
OF material possessions. 1t needed no
prophet to foretel that their national
literature would be a powerful factor
in the unif1cation of the country,
A Great Literature.
Heirs of a great and unique litcra-
ture. dating from the fifth century, a
national possession of which every
lrfshman should be proud, and which
other less fortunate nations cnvied
them. To resuscitate that ancient
literature, to bring it before the Irish
people. to win and train workers for
that work had been a labor of love
with him for more than thirty years
He would continue to devote the re-
mainder of his life to that task.
Canon o'Leary.
Canon O'Leary thanked the Corpor-
alton especially for having associated
his name with the name of DR.. Kuno
Meyer. He was under a great obliga-
ton to DIR. Meyer 1t was a great
many years since he first saw in thu