Home Rule and After

In last week's Claidheamh Soluis, Michael Smidie directed our attention to the question of Home Rule, and rightly says it is as reasonable to assume it will pass as to assume it will not. Assuming then that it will pass, the question for the Gaelic League to wonder is: What effect its passing will have on the future of the Irish Language? It may be taken as an inevitable consequence of Home Rule that the whole question of primary education will be thrown into the melting pot.

Then the question of Irish in the National Schools will become a more momentous problem than any the League has ever yet been up against. I am not now referring to the National Board. I give up the Board as hopeless. It never for a moment of its existence entertained a serious design to encourage the Irish Language. Anything we ever extracted from it was given merely as a sop to Cerberus, and its present perfunctory programme for Irish would not restore the Language if continued till the angel sounds the trumpet in the Valley of Jehosaphat.

Therefore I ignore the National Board. It was simply fiddling and nibbling while the Language was dying. Some much more drastic and far-reaching specific is necessary, and the programme put forward by the Gaelic League is drastic and far-reaching. The League claims—

(l) That Irish shall be the medium of instruction in the Irish-speaking districts; (2) that outside of the Irish-speaking districts as much as possible of the school work shall be done in Irish (3) that Irish shall be an essential subject in every school in Ireland, with a certain amount of local option; and (4) that teachers shall be thoroughly trained in Irish, and that all inspectors shall have a competent knowledge of the Language.

That programme, honestly, energetically and sympathetically worked out, would and will restore the Irish Language. Now from the view-point of the Language the coming political changes must necessarily be of very great importance. The National Board, which has been more impervious than Jericho, will not, in the new regime, be continued as at present. The walls will soon collapse and education will be under the direction of some authority amenable to public opinion. Much advantage for the language may be derived from these changes, but the measure of such advantage will entirely depend on the state of preparedness and energy and determination of Gaels themselves.

If, in the new order of things, the friends of Irish are languid and indifferent, if they fail to rise to the occasion, and to avail of the opportunities that will offer, the position of the Language, amongst the many clashing interests that are certain to arise, will be worse than at present, and we may look forward to the inevitable extinction of Irish. That would be regarded by all Irishmen and Irishwomen as a calamity which must and shall be averted. Yes, the Irish Language can be saved and MUST be saved, and the Gaelic League programme, if put into practical operation, will save it.

If the Gaelic League be enabled to make its influence felt, and to take effective advantage of the opportunities which will offer under the new order of things, the Irish Language will he treated as a National language should be treated. Hitherto the care of the Language has been the self-imposed duty of enthusiasts. Henceforth our efforts must be directed towards making it the business of the State, the national duty of an Irish Government.

The thing for us to do is to get our programme placed on the statute books of our future educational authorities. How? Well, to begin with, we must possess political influence, and this, of course, we can have without being actually a political body. We simply can have votes and we can use them at the proper time and in the proper way.

We must get our branches into thoroughly efficient working order, and that we may be in a position to help our future Government to see and appreciate its duty to the national language, our Organisation must be maintained in vigorous and efficient training. If we are not strong enough to exercise an effective influence on the course of events, we may be brushed aside and ignored. Therefore, the machinery of our Organisation must be maintained, and if possible increased, in power and effectiveness. Meetings, small and great, must be held up and down the country, and the case for the Language preached on the highways and bye-ways, in and out of season.

And, as all this cannot be done without the sinews of war, the Seachtmhain na Gaedilge collection should be taken in hand without delay.

On the present occasion we look forward to a more generous response to our appeal than has ever yet been given. For many years heavy demands have had to be made on the patriotism of the Irish people, and their generosity has been unparalleled. The necessity, however, for some of these demands exists no longer. The question of Home Rule will soon be decided. The Land question is already practically settled. To nationalise our Education and to foster and cultivate our Language will be our most urgent duty in the immediate future.

Of course, there will be difficulties to overcome, but judging by the spirit displayed at last meeting, the Coisde Gnotha is alive to the possibilities of the situation. But even the Coisde Gnotha cannot do much without the co-operation of our friends throughout the country, Treise Flatha Feara, said Lughaid Ó Cléirigh, and now is the time to be up and doing, now is the time to close the ranks, now or never.

Padraig O Dalaigh