The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-07
CELTIC LIBRARY AT ST.
THOMAS.

The founding of a great Celtic
library at the College Of st.
Thomas reflects high honor on the
Hibernians of Minnesota, through
whose munificence there will be
amassed at the College body Of
Celtic literature second to none in
the United States. With generos-
ity characteristic Of their order,
the Hibernians Of the state have
placed at the disposal Of the Col
lege funds which, in the course of
years, will be amply sufficient to
make the College a center of
Gaelic culture and learning. It is
not the first time that the Ancient
Order of Hibernians has manifest
ed its devotion to the cause Of
Irish studies. The sum of fifty
thousand dollars given to & the
Catholic University Of America,
and the substantial contributions
made to the Northwestern Uni
versity, Leland Stanford Univer-
sity, Boston College, and other in
situations for the purpose of pro-
noting the study Of Irish history,
literature, art and archaeology, in
dictate that the Hibernians deem it
part Of their mission to foster in
terest in things pertaining to Gel
tic culture.
The library begun at st. Thomas
will not be completed for several
years. The vast array of names
of distinguished scholars who, in
every country of Europe, have de-
voted their lives to the study Of
the literature Of the Celt, is alone
sufficient to show not only the i'm
mense interest which Irish culture
evOkes, but also the immense range
of the subjects which it comprises.
For all this wealth of literature
the new library will make ample
provision. The work will be car
ried out, by Rev. Lawrence p.
Murray, whose article contributed
to our columns last week outlined
in a mastery manner what such a
library means and what it should
comprise. The erudition of this
brilliant young professor and the
contributions which he has al
ready made to irish letters have
rendered his name familiar among
Irish scholars across the sea. I'm
der his competent hands there will
grow up at st. Thomas a library
which will be unique in the north
west if not in the country at large.
To all who have at heart the
cause of letters the St. Thomas
Celtic library will be source of
the deepest interest. The voice of
the Gael in it's earliest accessible
form is heard in the literature of
Ireland. The Celt has played a
noble part in the history Of the
world. How wide and deep was
the influence which he exercised
in days when Europe turned to the
west for learning, and how far
Preaching has been his influence in
later times, a great Celtic library
will bear abiding witness. To all
who look to Ireland as the land of
their fathers such library will be
an object of peculiar pride. A
hoary literature is the glory of a
race, and the literature of the Gael
is the literature of people won
derfully lowered with spiritual in
sight and no less marvelously
gifted with the power of express
sion. In days when Ireland alone
of all lands preserved the treas
ures of a classical civilization, her
sons founded great libraries
wherever they went. To perpetu-
ate this splendid tradition would
he worthy of the Ancient Order Of
Hibernians. TO this great Order
of man Yn1.o,11 of %ho ,oox,+ ,,e II, y; =,