The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-06-09

NOM. Their little son, Roman, has
been brought up native speaker Of
his own language. Eamonn Ceannt
was an accomplished linguist, speak
ing seven languages, and an able and
forceful journalist, but his life-work
was in the Irish Musical Revival.
His aim was, not alone to save
the great wealth of unrecorded folk
music in Ireland, but to create a>refer-
ence for the Pipers and Fiddlers who
had preserved that music for us. He
was one of the founders of the Folk
Music Society of Dublin and with Mr..
Edward Martin, founded the Irish
| Pipers Club.
| Although he had mastered the Irish
Union Pipes, before his death he was
considered the greatest authority on
them. He played delightfully."-, and
was the principal judge at all the
f'eisanna of the Gaelic League, at the
Oireachtas, the annual festival of the
Gaelic League and the the Feis Cecil.
His last public performance was at
concert late in March in aid of the
Second Battalion of the Irish Volun-
teers held in the Foresters' Hall, FL
Parnell Square, Dublin, at which Ar
thur Griffith addressed the audience,
and Thomas McDonough was in the
chair. Both Eamonn and Thomas
were wearing their uniforms as Com
mandants of the Irish Volunteers. In
addition to playing the Irish Union
Pipes, he also played the Irish War
Pipes, and led the band of sixteen
pipers to Rome, all of whom wore their ,
Celtic costumes. On that occasion Ea-
MORN had the distinction of playing a
SODA number of beautiful Irish airs
at the request of Pope Plus the
tenth--in the Vatican. Probably the
only time the Irish War Pipes had
been heard within those walls since
the time of the O'Donnels. AS a judge
of the Musical Festivals, he knew
every piper and fiddler in Ireland, by
whom he was dearly loved.
Modest, sincere and non-compromis-
ilrg almost to severity, he drew toward
him the best in the Irish Volunteer
movement. Like John MCNEIL, Pearse
and the other leaders, he was strict
tetotaler and it was through his influ-
ence that all his men followed his ex-
ample, and the temperance movement
was the strongest element in volun-
teer service. His home life was ideal,
his pretty little wife being his con-
start companion.
Before the strenuous events of 1913,
he had taken Il farm in the outskirts
of Dublin, Bloomfield Park, and was
deeply interested and very successful
in his experiments in intensive cul-
ture, but Cathleen Nj Houlihan passed
that way and beckoned to him, and
he left all to follow her. His wife,
as intensely patriotic as he. was will
ing he should make every material
sacrifice, and now, although plunged
in grief, has borne her sorrow like all
the other Irish mothers for the sake
of those who must follow in their
fathers footsteps.
When the London Times sneered at
the volunteers dependents, saying they
accepted money from the Dublin Man.
sion House fund.- which was almost
entirely Irish money, but included
some subscription from the Prince Of
Wales, Mrs. Eamonn Ceannt was one
of the first to resent the insult to the
women in the Press, saying that no
dependent of the Irish Republican SOL
diers would accept any assistance
from the Dublin Mansion House fund.
1t was then the Irish Volunteers De-
pendents' fund was established, Mrs.
Ceannt being made Vice-President.
Miss Lily O'Brennan, young Irish
Poet and Dramatist, a member of Gu
mann Naamban. who is sister of
Mrs. Ceannt, got five weeks imprison-
mcnt in company with several other
members of their organization. Her
Irish fairy play entitled, May Eve in
Stephens Green" was produced for
the first time at the Christmas Aonac
of 1914, and was called by the news
papers, "rhe Irish Peter Pan" 1t was
II rebel fairy playa ballad singer
enters Stephens Green and, approach
ing the statue of Mangan, sings the
Dark Rosaeen." Suddenly the spir-
it's OF ireland awaken. The fairies re-
belling for the lost beauty of Ezra
The little play was since produced in
the Gaelic League branches all over
the country. Miss Lilly O'Brennan is
also fluent speaker of Gaelic and
was obliged to translate Eamonn
Ceannts letter to his little son for the
Commander Of Kilmainham Jail be-
fore he allowed her to leave the pris-
on. The other letters were gotten out
privately.