The New York herald., 1922-12-31

there and everywhere. 1t was glort-
fed country fair. That the character
Of such gatherings has not much
changed in the course Of couple of
thousand years is evidenced by the
following stanZa taken from the
ancient poets description OF one of
these gatherings:
Trumpets. harps, wide mouthed horns.
Cruisechs, timpanists without fail.
Poets. ballad singers and groups OF
agile Jugglers.
Pipers, flddlers, banded men,
Bowmen and flute players,
The host of chattering birdlike fliers,
Shouters and loud bellowers-
These all exert themselves to tho ut
most.
Festivities and Games of OIden
Days Included in Great Revival
It Is somewhat curious coincidence
that with the revival Of the Parliament
in Ireland We have also a revival of
the festivities-the games, the contests,
the music. the stories, the poetry, &c.,
which was an accompaniment of the
ancient Dali. Only they are not now
held at the same time, or in the same
place with the parliament Moreover
this other revival has been proceeding
for years and has been an accompani-
ment of the great revival of the Gaelic
language. The F'eis gatherings during
the summer are taking place on green
hillsides In one or other corner Of the
country week after week, In every case
attended by hundreds and thousands
Of all ages and all ranks-people who
travel long distances over marsh and
mead, bog. moor and mountain to at
tend tho joyous gathering and to
encourage the campaign for bringing
back the characteristic old Gaelic
things which had been fast passing
away.
The coming again of the parliament
found Ireland fairly we'll advanced In
the revival Of the many other Irish
things which in the old ages used to
accompany the parliament-namely,
the Gaelic language, the old Irish
games, the old Irish dances, the old
Irish music, Gaelic poetry, Gaelic
stories, the ancient dress, the old man
ners and customs, &c.
Under the influence of the revival
the Irish harp, thank God, Is heard
again throughout the land. The art
OF harp making has been revived, and
is successfully practiced again in Bel
fast, Dublin and Cork. Harp classes
are plentiful in cities and larger towns.
and hundreds Of Irish maidens are
again waking the echoes of valleys
that had been long and sadly silent
with the sweet notes that come from
the magic wires.
To lsuch perfection were harp and
harp music brought in ancient Ireland
that the fame of both travelled far.
Giraldus Cambrensis says: "The
Irish are incomparably skillful in
music beyond all other nations I have
seem" Bacon Of old said: mo harp
has sound so melting and 80 pro-
longed as the Irish harp" And Geme-
mani found no music so original as
the Irish. "On this side of the Alps"
Our Irish harper bard Carolan was
called the Irish Orpheus' by Handel,
who said he would rather be the au-
thor of Carolan's beautiful eileen
Aroon" than all the music he ever
composed.
And the wild echoes Of the hills are
again being awakened by the shrill
scream of the Irish pipes. Hosts of
the young men have again taken up
the pipes and pipers' bands are COM
mon IN the four corners Of Ireland.
The pipers and harpists have helped
forward another branch Of Irish re-
vival by wearing the ancient Irish
dress. which Is being reintroduced for
dress occasions. The woman's dress
and cloak in ancient style is eminently
artistic and effective. The kilt and
bratta of the men is both tasteful and
picturesque. for 80 far the dress re-
vival shows only on dress occasions:
1t will hardly be reestablished for ordi-
nary wear. Yet there are many en-
thusiasts among the men who wear
the ancient Irish costume day in, day
out, as, for instance. The MacGiolla
Phadraic, presumed head OF an ancient
Irish clan. who Is better known to the
English speaking world as Lord Ash
bourne. He is the very Irish son of
a late Lord Chancellor of England. Is
one OF the good Gaelic scholars and
one OF the most fluent Gaelic speakers
in Ireland, as well as one of the most
ardent enthusiasts for the revival of
all ancient Irish things. Five years
ago Lord Ashbourne. on succeeding to
his title and to the peerage. created
the sensation Of the day and gave a
shock to the peers OF the British
realm. from which some of them have
not yet recovered. when he presented
himself to take his seat In the English
House of Lords in his Irish barraid
(cap), tunic. bratta and kiits
In the Irish cottages around the turf
fires at night the old Irish songs are
again raised--the pathetic songs, the
tragic songs, the humorous songs, all
the delightful and inimitable songs OF
o,den time in the olden language Also
the old shanachie (story teller) holds
the freside circle, fascinated once more
by relating the ancient Irish tales,
either in the Gaelic language or trans
lated into English. Tho ancient hero
tales are again told. the wonderful
ancient romances, the folk tales, the
fairy tales. Some Of the old romances
are so long that they take whole
Continued on Psss Eight