me.6.'0 6t1
�n ct.crnecrn soturs.
f 65ti1 .6.11\ 14, 1 ta,
September
I,4, 1-;1 2·
[AN
�n ot,6.1t>e,6.m sot.urs 111e.&'66n f6$tiM1f'
,
1912.
IRISH LITERATURE.
To sustain our own claim to it we have of set purpose chosen the title adopted for this article. Though the term is still applied to Irishmen's efforts in the English language such an employment thereof remains just as false as when it first obtained any currency. In other words, there can be no Irish literature except the Irish language be used as its medi.urn. Before the English ever set foot on the soil of Ireland Irish literature was in the native language of the country, and so must the story remain so long as the Irish retain any native linguistic power in their own land. It cannot be said that Irish literature is in a vigorous state at the present moment. It is, unfortunately, a very tender plant just now and needs every encouragement. Most of what is being done probably appears in the CLAIDHEAMH SOLUIS-in saying most we mean of the original literary attempts of to-day, for literature for the purposes of this article does not include efforts of a past period or folklore of to-day. It is probably a true statement of the case if we say that the literary spirit in our young Irish writers in or of the Irish-speaking districts is willing, but the means of producing it are weak or rare. In other words, the tendency to produce literature in Irish, even though the writers be few, is far stronger than the desire of the Gaelic League or others to Who place it before an Irish-reading public. but a rank Philistine would not encourage attempts like Cleamhnas Choil an Chrompain which appeared in a very recent number of the CLAIDHEAMH from the pen of a young Connacht writer? A good simple little tale well and graphically told, that is a truthful description of it. Unfortunately the canker of materialism, so common everywhere to-day, has even affected the Irish language movement, hitherto known as possessing spirituality and enthusiasm. A great blow to our current attempts at literature was the stopping of Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge, which had lived so long and battled through the storms of the darkest periods that the Irish " We language movement had to endure. must drop the things that don't pay," said some un-literary people, and, lo ! an encl was put to this quite venerable journal which had done so much in the past in encouraging the writing of Irish. The resultant loss has been simply incalculable, for a period of discouragement has since set in in the production of literature. No wonder, for many people, not only in Ireland, but elsewhere, had all along been regarding Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge as the chief embodiment of the movement, on account of its long connection with it. What sane man connected with a movement like ours ever asked that a thing must pay? Certainly the founders of the Gaelic League and its early single-minded members never thought of such a thing. That is only one aspect of the question, however. The necessity of inducing the children and the youth of the country to learn to read. write, and speak Irish is another. This is, we are glad to say, being effectively looked after at the moment by the CLAIDHEAMH. W e wish every success to Caoilte na Rann who is doing so much to create a spirit of interest in writing Irish amongst the rising generation. Every nerve must be strained to get our writers to produce vigorous prose which, whilst being idiomatic, should reflect the spirit of the present age. It must contain neither pedantry nor hyper-poetising. We have probably more than enough of poetry itself. It is a curious fact that a plethora of verse is a clear sign of the decay of a language. Let us quote the present case of Cornish, no longer a living Sonnets are being produced in it, tongue. as Mr. ] enner its grammarian admits, with great success, but no prose. Why ? Because prose, commonly a real thing of vigour, belongs to the life of a language. In Kerry and Galway, that is, in two counties m \\ hich the native
CLAIUHEAM.11 SOLU!ii.l
tongue is still in common colloquial use (westwards at any rate), there are several young writers striving to raise their voices in popular prose who are receiving only the scantiest of Are they to be told by our encouragement. materialists that they must keep Anglo-Irish silent ? What are the National Board, the Intermediate Board, etc., in comparison with the production of literature ? A hundred years hence they will be all forgotten, whilst, to quote a trite adage, litera scripta manet, Father Flanagan, on his return from America, made it absolutely clear that the production of Irish literature is a necessity if the interest of the Americans in the Irish language movement is still to be kept up, thus proving how wrong the "materialists " were. Once reduce any language to the condition of a mere patois without periodicals or books in it and it may be said that the end is in sight. One of the commonest arguments against the Irish language m cultured society m Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland is that it has no modern literature that one could read, after having This no spent one's time in studying It. doubt exaggerates the position, though it must with truth be admitted that we are very much behindhand as compared with almost any literature in Europe, even the smallest. Hence it is clear that the production of literature must be encouraged at all costs if our language is to live and flourish. Irish writers, owing to their poverty, cannot themselves produce their efforts. Our organisation must do more than it has hitherto done to help these along, and there must be no question of materialism or market value in regard to production. Only intrinsic worth should tell.
--•!•-·--
5leo Census Figures of Leinster Fireside Irish. Most of us know that the only districts of Leinster in which native or " fireside " Irish still lingers are a few of the extreme north of the province (in Co. Louth) or of its extreme south (in Co. Kilkenny). The former shows up much better than the latter. From a carefully compiled article in a contemporary, " The Language in Leinster." we extract the following: " The capital of Irish-speaking Leinster is Drummullagh, in Louth. The electoral division contains a population of 1,403 persons over 3 years of age, out of which 527, or nearly 40 per cent., are Irish speakers. "Drummullagh is situated in the Dundalk Rural District. The great majority of the people over 40 years of age are native Irish speakers-334 Irish speakers against 216 nonIrish speakers. Between 21 and 40 years of age the English speakers are in a majority of 253 to 106. Between 9 years of age and 21, there are 74 Irish speakers and 169 English speakers. Between the ages of 3 and q the Irish speakers number only 13 to 156 English speakers- Can we not save them? Cannot the Leinstermen, nine-tenths of whom will learn now for the first time that in their native province there exists a district where the Irish language is still spoken by four out of every ten people, and where it is still the prevalent language of all the men and women about forty years of age, conserve that district ? It can be saved through the children who are being permitted to grow up ignorant of the tongue in which one-half of their parents and most of their grandparents think and speak amongst themselves. Drummullagh is the capital of Irish-Ireland Leinster. Let us of Leinster who did not know that such a district existed within our province combine to hold it for the Gael. The women of Drummullagh have held the Out of 303 language better than the men. women over forty years of age there are 195 Irish speakers. The Irish speaking men of similar age number 139 out of 247. In all 297 women and 230 men form the Irish-speaking populace of Drummullagh. " From the religious census of Drummullagh we learn that of the total population, 1,327 are Catholics, 155 Church of Ireland members, and 6 persons of other persuasions." Drummullagh, we may add, is one of Deicb mBaile O M eith, the ten townlands of Omeath. In it the writer of this note had many a chat in Irish with Inghean Pheadair Duibb (Eibhlin Ni Anluain, Nelly Hanlon), a famous local seanchaidhe who died a few years ago. Our quotation shows what a strong effort the ne:vly
established college will need to make in order to save the firesides of Omeath from the irreparable loss of the language of Cuchulainn The only district in Kilkenny in which fireside Irish counts appears to be Kilmakevoge in the barony of Ida. Its total population in 19n was 391, and the number of Irish-speaking people 46, almost 12 per cent., a far worse tale than that of Drummullagh. The decay of Irish in Ossory since 1830 has been far more rapid than has ever been the case in Louth The comparative cause is probably to be sought in ascribing a bilingual condition to the former and a monoglot state to the latter in the early roth century. Colaisde na Mumhan. The closing meeting of the second (August) Session of the Munster Irish Training College, Ballingeary, was held in the College on 6th inst. About 150 students and some 200 people of the district were present. The whole proceedings were, as a matter of course, conducted in Irish, and the enthusiasm displayed at the salient points of the addresses bespoke the keen interest of all present in the work of the College. The battle for supremacy between Irish and English in the district is at present fierce and terrific, and though the strong battalions seem to be on the side of English, the people of Ballingeary are of fighting stuff, and the Irish is yet well holding its own. Starting from small beginnings, the Munster Training College has grown and expanded beyond all hopes and anticipations in its sphere of useful endeavour. Its influence on the side of the Irish in Ballingeary has been great, and during the Session just closed it was evident that the inroads of English were for the time arrested, and to the English speaker Ballingeary was practically a foreign land. The number of students of Irish visiting the district during July and August was over �oo. }'he bare.statement gives to the question, What is the economic value of Irish,'' an answer in the minds of the people of Ballingeary which some who ask it might do well to learn. The Rev. Gerald O'Nolan, M.A., B.D., Head Master, presided at. the closing meeting of the College. Mr. Diarmuid O'Leary, Professor of Method, asked why was the Munster Training College established in Ballingeary, Because the Irish language was sp_oken there. '!'hat was a fact he would like to impress, particularly upon the younger people of the locality. All the improvements they saw about them-the neater and better houses, the greater comfort, the circulation of money in the district, the fun and the sport and pleasure-those were due to the establishment of the College there, and the College was there because Irish was there a He appealed to the young living language. of the young men and women, place, people to speak Irish habitually, to carry on the traditions of the older people. It was to tr.eir own best interests to do so, and it was their duty to their native land as we!l. He understood an Irish teacher and orgamser was to be appointed for that district soon, and he trusted that whoever was appointed would get every help from the people, as it was for the good of the language and the good ?f the place th�t !he Committee of the College mtended appomtmg such a man. The following resolution received , from Dingle Irish College, prop�sed by Sean O Shea, was carried with acclamation:" That we, the Students of the Munster Training College, . strongly ur�e the Commissioners of National Education to agam demand from the English Treasury power to pay the expenses of National teachers attending the Gaelic Colleges. \Ve call upon .. the Irish Members of Parliament to take such action as will compel the English Treasury to grant this small and reasonable de�and. We consider it a grave slur upon the National language to deny expenses to teachers attending those Colleges while paying the expenses of those attending Kindergarten �nd ot�er classes, and we trust the matter will receive immediate attention."
..
Miss Mary Synon. The Illinois Women's Press Association and the Gaelic Society of Chicago tendered a reception and musical evening on 23rd ult. at the Hotel Sherman to Miss Mary Synon, the wellknown writer who recently returned from Ireland whereshe was sent by the Gaelic League for the 'purpose of writing a. series of articles on the Gaelic movement. Miss Synon formerly was a member of the" Journal" staff. Her recent