Gaoṫ andeas, bíonn sí tais, ⁊ cuireann
raṫ ar ṡíoltaiḃ,
Gaoṫ adtuaiḋ, bíonn sí fuar, ⁊ cuireann
sí fuaċt ar ḋaoiniḃ,
Gaoṫ aníar, bíonn sí dian, ⁊ cuireann
sí iasg i líontaiḃ,
Gaoṫ anoir, bíonn sí duḃ, ⁊ cuireann
sí sioc ’san oiḋċe.
A RECENT DISCOVERY.
The Gaelic Journal! A periodical exclusively devoted to the cultivation of the Irish Language! That surely must be published in America, or in Scotland, or in France, or perhaps even in Germany. Surely never in Ireland! I rub my eyes and look again. Why, yes, absolutely in Dublin! And what is more, actually con- ducted in the most approved fashion of modern journalism (barring illustrations, which, however, will probably be supplied if and where needed), and supported by Irishmen of all classes and all creeds.
You may well ask, Mr. Editor, where I have been all this time that I had not heard of your enterprise before. Well, it is true I have been for many years resident in England, but I have never severed my connection with the land of my birth, and I have always felt the liveliest interest in our venerable tongue. When a school-boy at Santry I had, with very slight knowledge of the grammar, begun an Irish Exercise Book for the use of my fellow- students on the model of Henry’s “First Latin book”! And although on my frequent visits to my native county (Cork), I always sought the society of those who knew anything of the old language, and made inquiries as to what was being done to arrest decay of the speech, or to facilitate the study of the ancient literature, the existence of the Gaelic Journal was utterly unknown to me until about a month ago, when, after an absence of thirty- two years from Dublin, I passed through that city on my way to Cork. A visit to the noble edifice in Kildare- street made me acquainted with the fact that Ireland possesses a National Library; and I at once determined to examine its contents in the department possessing the chief interest for me. Of course, I received the most courteous treatment from the librarians—as much as if I had been a German professor—and was shown every- thing they had bearing on Keltic studies. The first thing that caught my eye was a considerable pile of papers in attractive green covers bearing the title: “The Gaelic Journal." My astonishment was great. An Irish journal, written or Irishmen by Irishmen in vernacular Irish, had been the dream of my youth and of my early manhood, but—“dhrames always go by conthraries, my dear!” and as no reality corresponding to my vision had ever appeared, the dream itself had long ceased to haunt me. And now, here it was realized before my eyes!
But must I confess it? What harm can be done by complete sincerity in this matter? The feelings I ex- perienced are, no doubt those of a considerable number of Irishmen in a first glance at the cover of your journal. Well, then, I must confess that old prejudices were too strong for mc, when I saw that the Editor was a R. C. clergyman, and that all communications had to be addressed to Maynooth College, an institution asso- ciated in my mind rather with theological and sacerdotal training than with philological studies an und für sich. Is it to be wondered at, then, that I turned aside from the G. J., and addressed myself to the Revue Celtique and to the works of Windisch and Ebel? But I had an uneasy feeling that I might, perhaps, be doing my own country- men a wrong. and that, after all, a man may be a priest and yet a philologist without arrière-pensée. So, before leaving Dublin, I acquired, through the kindness of Mr. Patrick O'Brien, a few numbers of the Journal, deter- mined to subject the production to a full and impartial examination. And the result? It is with the greatest pleasure that I confess that my instinctive hostility has been completely disarmed; that your Journal seems to me to be conducted in the best possible spirit and with conspicuous ability; that your correspondents, on the whole, are men of learning and culture, acquainted with the various stages and dialects of the language, exercised in the discussion of knotty philological problems, and thoroughly up to date. This I was scarcely prepared for, bearing in mind the wild conjectures of O’Reilly and Bourke. Not that I would in the least detract from the real merits of those assiduous and successful toilers in the great field. I believe that your collaborators are also fully imbued with the true spirit of research, and conscious of the great responsibility resting on them; ready to wel- come truth from whatever quarter it may come, and to resign pre-conceived notions, however dearly cherished, when these are proved to be untenable. I fervently hope that this spirit will continue to animate every contributor, that the wish shall never engender pseudo-facts, and that every contribution, however slight, will be properly tested before it is admitted into your columns. With this wish, and with the earnest hope that the Gaelic Journal may have a most honourable and successful career,
I subscribe myself,
Your well-wisher,
D. B. HURLEY.
Newcastle, Staffs.
NOTES AND QUERIES.
We have received a number of most interesting communications for this department from all parts of the country of the world, we might almost say. Many contributors, however, insist on subjecting us to needless labour, and our readers to needless delay, by neglecting the most obvious requirements. Three points require special attention. (1) Matter of this kind should be written as concisely as possible, all unnecessary verbiage being pruned away. We sometimes receive material for ten lines expanded into an essay which would take up a column. (2) All matter for or dealing with these notes should be written on separate slips and signed, not interpolated in a letter about other business, as is very often done. (3) If possible, phrases from actual observation should always be given in illus- tration of the use of rare or obscure words and idioms.
(50) Corr. (See N. and Q. 42, 49). Mar a chleachdar am focal seo agus a cho-bhriathran anns a Ghaidhlig albannach: Is leor sin, that is enough. Tha cus ann, there is too much. Corr ’s fichead, more than twenty. Cha ’n ól mi deur tuilleadh, I’ll not drink a drop more. Cha ’n ól mi ni ’s mo, no more will I. Feumaidh mi a dha uiread, I require twice as much. Cha b’ uilear uibhir eile, as much again would not be too much. Iomadh oran, many a song. Na h-iomadaidh orain, so many songs. Liuthad fleasgach, such a number of youths.
Gall-Ghaidheal
