The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-14

49, AsAA(
1t is considered a better method to go
from the living language back to the
middle Irish, which IL still preserved
by innumerable songs. stories. tracts
and homilies, and from these to work
still further back to the old texts
which seem so obscure. Such great
progress mas beer made that even the
students themselves ave been amazed
at the wealth of material revealed.
While the Gaelic league is working
v%aliantly to increase interest in the
preservation Of this language, 1t must
be assumed that it ever has been a
dead language or even in danger Of be-
coming one. There are thousands of
persons in different parts Of the world
who are speaking it today as it was
transmitted to them from their fore
fathers. Owing to the dominance Of
the English, many families preserve it
in their homes who have affected ig-
of it in public, although there
always have been a large number who,
from patriotic motives. absolutely re-
fused to speak English. The league
already has been able to create so
much sentiment in favor of the revival
of the language that many old people
now gather frequently for the express
purpose of conversing in the language
they spoke as children, and their ex-
pressions are being preserved for the
use of future generations. AS a re-
suit Of the efforts of the league, dur
ing the past Is years, Gaelic is now
taught in about one-third Of the pub
lie or common schools of Ireland, in
practically all of the schools con-
Quoted by the different religious or
ders and in thousands of Gaelic league
land. 1t has been made an essential
subject for examination for entrance
into the new National University Of
Dublin, and he league conducts 10
colleges for the training of teachers in
the Gaelic tongue.
The churches. both Catholic and
Protestant, have caught the enthu-
siasm for reviving the Gaelic language,
and sermon in that language are fire.
quent in all the churches. On st. Pat
rick's day, 1912, twenty-one churches
in Dublin held services in Gaelic.
Language enthusiasts refuse to speak
any other language when shopping,
thus compelling the stores to employ
Gaelic speaking clerks. The street
signs in Dublin and in other cities are
and cabmen and draymen put Gaelic
signs upon their vehicles.
The interest Is not confined to
speaking the language. for most of the
Irish papers publish some columns Of
Gaelic In their regular editions, while
others print occasional issues in the
ancient text. In addition to these
there are a number of Gaelic periodi-
calls, while each month an increasing
number Of Gaelic books are printed
and distributed throughout the world.
Several Gaelic publications are issued
in the United States, as well as sew
eral in other countries. In order to
familiarize themselves with the Gaelic
text and construction, a number Of
Gaelic students are devoting their time
not only to translating the Gaelic into
English, but in tr%anslating other works
into Gaelic. One of the most notable
works of the kind published in the
United States is the translation of
Edward Fitzgerald's version of THE
Rubaiyat of Omar khayyam" into
Gaelic. This Is the recent work of
John J. Carroll of Chicago, who is an
enthusiastic Gaelic student.
DR.. Dunn of the Catholic university
has prepared a monograph on the
Gaelic literature, giving a synopsis OF
it's extent n subjects. Beginning be-
fore the middle ages, Irish literature
was of the epic style prepared by a
class of dignitaries supported by the
court for this purpose. Their caste
was determined by the number of
stories they could tell. ranging from
the "file" who knew only seven to the
"ollamh," who could translate $50.
The NEUROLOGICAL period follows in
which were originated the wonderful
Aairy tales in which Ireland is so rich.
Lyric poetry, history and a consider
able amount of astronomical and other
scientific knowledge is included in this
Gaelic literature which is gradually
becoming known to the world. f.,
h strongest Gaelic colony in the
western hemisphere is in Nova Scotia.
where the language is spoken by 49,
900 people, many of whom do not
speak any English, but have preserved
their native tongue in all its purity.
Several newspapers printed in Gaelic
keep this colony in touch with what
t~ranspires in the world. This colony
was founded more than a century ago
by Scotch Highlanders. There are two
colleges in Nova Scotia attended
largely by Gaelic speaking students in
which the language is taught. One of
these is Presbyterian and the other
Catholic. At a meeting of the Wash
ington Gaelic society recently, ad-
dresses in the Gaelic language were
made by DR.. Donald Macleod, pastor
of a prominent Presbyterian church
of that city. and by Rev. Daniel ].
Macdonald, a Catholic clergyman.
Both of these gentlemen are native
Gaelic speakers h learned the Ian
guaEe during their childhood in their
Nova Scotia homes, and both are en-
Enthusiastically working to increase it's
use because, although of decreasing
Unitarian value, Gaelic has yet been
associated with much of the most in
teresting history of the world.
Zoo ,rl IT, T.