Irish in the National University

A "certain" Dr. McWalter calls us "howlers" and "coercionists" who ask in our love for the native Irish language that all that is possible to do for its revival may be done, at least here at home, in our own land, by our own leaders, in our own (if it is to be our own) National University. Yes, indeed, it is necessary to compel ourselves and our friends owing to the effect of the primal compulsion of England when she forced our fathers to give up by tortuous yet effective means their land and language, and when she succeeded in creating an artificial atmosphere that well nigh killed our national tongue, to do what we can to save the remnant of that language.

Why do we advocate strong and stern measures? Because by no other means, as we think, can this the last and most precious of purely Irish yet alienable possessions—the instrument through which the ancient Irish race during the brightest period of its national entity expressed itself in human speech—be saved: There is no more base insinuation, and it is often made use of during these still glorious days by many of those who would slam the door of the National University on the Irish language, than that which suggests that the decay of the Irish language is a natural one, due to its essential worthlessness, and to the deserved contempt and native want of love of it shown by the bulk of the Irish people.

This suggestion, and it is used, and it is a living force against us in the present controversy, is an audacious, an impudent, and a contemptible falsehood. Oh, Heavens, how often Ireland has been lied to her face, and behind her back, and been libelled before the World in this manner when and where she never had an opportunity of replying to her slanderers ; and oh, perfidy of perfidies, how often her basest caluminators have been her own children! If self-denial in the matter and a stern resolve to save the language at any cost, had not taken possession of certain individual enthusiasts and through them spread out, the Irish language would inevitably have died, and men like Dr. McWalter would, of course, have never shed a tear.

Dr. McWalter writes so many letters to the papers on every conceivable subject that he has become a letter-writing phenomenon. What an astonishingly clever man! What amazing fertility of idea, and versatility of resource! Yet, though so marvellously endowed, he cannot be an equally good authority all-round, and it is inevitable that such a man must make a fool of himself sometimes.

It is said that Archbishop Whately, great scholar and logician, used sometimes sit on the chains at Trinity College and enjoy a quiet swing all to himself ; and a famous Cardinal used to enjoy a kind of frog-leap over lines of chains. One thing is apparent—Dr. McWalter shows that he has not a particle of love for the Gaelic speech of our native land. Let the record of this fact be nailed to the counter in regard to him and most of the enemies of our side in our struggle for fair-play for Irish.

More than one accurate and useful conclusion can be drawn from it. His reference to the Irish language as a "certain language" should not be forgotten for Dr. McWalter ; it is a gem that should live. Assuming that Dr. McWalter is an Irishman, there is something repulsively sickening in his unnatural anti-Irish and utterly contemptuous reference—an almost hidden essence contained in a tiny word—to the ancient language of a historic people, the once exclusive language of the Irish race and independent Irish nation at the most Irish and most illustrious period of its existence.

There Dr. McWalter will have Irish Ireland,—but I forget—it is not Irish Ireland that troubles him—I was going to say he would have Irish Ireland led by himself and his friends, by Scotland and Wales and Belgium. I should think he would find himself more at home in Scotland and Wales and Belgium than in Donegal, or Galway, or Kerry.

But I say let Ireland be led by Irish Irelanders, for they are the only true and natural constituents of an Irish Ireland ; and what other kind of an Ireland should we have here ?

Yours truly, T. HUNT,
Late of Athea,
Co. Limerick.