The Irish standard., 1917-09-15
An Entertaining Essay Prepared by
Mrs. T. Connolly for Ladies Auxil-
larry A. o. II. Literary Meeting.


Mrs. T. Connolly for Ladies Auxil-
larry A. o. II. Literary Meeting.
The ladies of the A. o. H. Auxiliary
are doing excellent work in the line
of the work of nationalism as we'll
as OF those of nationality, the for
mer having to do with the reclamation
and recresdescence of the Goelic Ian
guage, literature, folklore, drama, mu-
sic, and other valuable heritages of
the Irish race, which have been dis
sipated by neglect in the progress of
the centuries, and the latter being con-
cerned about the political status of
the country. Each of these move
ments is helpful to the other. much
has been accomplished in both cam
for further investigation and study.
In fact the surface of the subject has
been merely scratched, and we may
expect a succession OF fruitful sea-
sons Of harvest in the not distant flu
ture from this productive field.
Mrs. Il. Connolly has prepared this
instructive review of highly interest
ing subject, Irish Schools and Col
legcs," which evinces thoroughness in
research and commendable painstak-
ing in it's presentation.
The topic given me by our worthy
state president was the Modern Col
leges.' but as Mr.. Shelley of Winni-
peg, in answer to a question of ref
erence On Modern Schools said, ct
seems too bad not to mention the
wonderful schools of the past and to
separate the gold from the tin pam
| have therefore taken the liberty
of charging my paper and trust it
will be Of sufficient interest to all.
In the most valuable information
given by Caesar about the druids there
is much which may be almost GER
tainly transferred to the earliest'teach-
ers and schools Of Ireland. The Irish
land, as they were in Gaul. There
were the lawyers, poets, astronomers
and early instructors Of youth and
are intimately connected with all Irish
history and fiction.
Regarding the druids, little is known
of these institutions and all the evil
dence on the subject rests on state
ment found in Caesar-Gallic War
Volume vi. In describing the Druids,
Caesar says, "a great number of
youths resort to them for instruction"
The work consisted in memorizing a
large number of verses and they also
discussed and teach the stars and their
movements, about the size of the uni
verse about natural phenomena and
the power and authority of the gods.
Instruction was purely oral, though
writing was known and used. This
course lasted twenty years. Caesar
points out that exemption from mill.
tary service, taxation and other bur-
dens make the position of druid very
attractive. Kings were sometimes
druids. The word druid seems to have
been used with much laxity in early
Ireland and some of the early saints
appear to have lived on fair terms
with them. When the druid died out
as druid is doubtful, the name evil
IDENTIFY had an evil sound in the ears
of the early Christians and met the
gradual abolition of paganism in Ire
land. The druidic name seems to have
died out and their place taken by the
Bards, who were probably their di-
rect successors. From what must have
been originally the druidic school we
can see gradually emerging the poet
and the historian. The bards grouped
themselves around personalities rath-
er than localities and to have wan
dered freely over the entire country
gladly supported by the people. From
this, we no doubt, get the quotation.
| The wandering bard" They were in
a class by themselves and they were
at one time so numerous and so in
solvent that they constituted an in
tolerable burden on the country.
At the end of tire sixth century a
determined effort was made by King
Mac Ainmirech to Danish the bards
or poets. 1t was the intervention OF
St. Columcille, poet himself, who
saved the bardic institution from ex.
tinction or Punishment on this occa
sion. The numbers, however, were
cut down to mere 1.-THE Of what they
had been. The High King, the king
of provinces and the lords of each
sub-district were allowed their own
chief poet. Their unchartered free