Táim i mo
eagarthóir ar an leagan nua den tseaniris
cháiliúil An Gael. I am
the editor of the new version of the famous old publication An Gael. Ag deireadh an naoú aois
déag, bhí a bunaitheoir, Mícheál Ó Lócháin, fós ina eagarthóir uirthi. At the
end of the 19th century, its founder, Michael Logan, was still the
editor. Duine
an-suimiúil ab ea é, agus an-díograiseach i leith na teanga agus i leith
saoirse d’Éirinn. He was a very interesting person, and very
enthusiastic about the language and about freedom for Ireland. Radacach
ab ea é, le fírinne. In truth, he was a radical. Agus ní raibh sé sásta ná
foighneach le daoine nach n-aontaigh leis maidir le cúrsaí polaitiúla nó cúrsaí
teangan.
And he was not happy about or
patient with people who didn’t agree with him concerning politics or the
language.
Rinne mé taighde
ar an tseaniris le déanaí, agus
fuair mé an tagairt seo, a scríobh MÓL in 1891, d’Ord Ársa seo na nGael: A while
ago, I did research on the old magazine, and I found this reference, which MÓL
wrote in 1891, to this Ancient Order of Hibernians:
“In last Gael we
asked our Hibernian and other Irish-society friends what they had done during
their existence to preserve Irish nationality.
We have received no answer yet—nor never shall!”
Bhuel, a Mhícheáil, seo duit do fhreagra. Well,
Michael, here’s your answer.
Cheap
Ó Lócháin nach rabhamar ar a thaobh maidir leis an teanga. Logan thought we were not on the
language’s side.
Pé tuairim ia bhí aige agus pé dearcadh a bhíodh ag an ord san aois sin,
is léir nach amhlaidh an scéal sa lá atá inniu ann
(buíochas le Dia). Whatever opinion he had and whatever outlook the order had at that
time, it’s clear that that’s not the case nowadays (thank God). Ní mise an chéad
cholúnaí Gaeilge ar an nuachtán seo, agus tá colún rialta agamsa ó Bhealtaine
2002. I’m not the first Irish language columnist in this paper, and I’ve had
a regular column since May of 2002.
Tá a fhios agam go mbíonn ranganna Gaeilge ag an AOH in áiteanna éagsúla,
agus tá taithí pearsanta agam ar Scoil Ghaeilge Ghearóid
Tóibín, atá lonnaithe ag rannóg a dó sa Bhablóin ar Inis Fada, i Nua-Eabhrac. I know
that the AOH has Irish language classes in various places, and I’m personally
familiar with the Gerry Tobin Irish Language School, which is located at
division 2 in Babylon on Long Island. Tá SGGT ar an
bhfód le breis is fiche bliain, le tacaíocht ón AOH. The
GTILS has been around for more than 20 years, with the support of the AOH. Agus roimh an scoil,
bhíodh Gearóid Tóibin féin (ar dheis Dé go raibh sé)
ag múineadh sa halla céanna. And before the school, Gerry Tobin himself
(may he be at God’s right hand) teaching in the same hall.
Bhí
agus tá ranganna ag rannáin eile ar Inis Fada, r.7 in Selden agus r.8 in Islip Thoir, mar shampla. There were and are classes at other divisions on Long Island, i.e. div.7 in Selden and div. 8 in East Islip. Nuair a bhí Vic Vogel (ag a
bhfuil teastas gur chríochnaigh sé féin cúrsa sa Ghaeilge) ina uachtarán ar Bhord
Chontae Suffolk, chruthaigh sé post Oifigeach na Gaeilge, agus tá an post sin ag Cathal Gaoidh. When VV
(who has a diploma saying he himself finished an Irish language course) was
president of the Suffolk County Board, he created the
position of Irish Language Officer, and Charlie Gee has that job. Insíonn sé don bhord faoin a mbíonn ar siúl a bhaineann leis an teanga, agus
foghlaimíonn an bord roinnt paidreacha as Gaeilge, freisin. He tells the board about all
that is going on with the language, and the board learns some prayers in Irish,
too.
Bhí Gaeilge ag an bhFeis Nassau le blianta
fada, le Seosamh Ó hAllagáin á heagrú, ar dheis Dé go
raibh sé.
There was Irish at the Nassau Feis for years, organized
by Joe Halligan (God bless him). Tá fós ag an
bhFeis Suffolk le Bernard De Brún á eagrú. Bernard Brown still does this at the Suffolk Feis. Sa chomórtas amhránaíochta
ar an sean nós a bhíonn ag an bhFeis
Nassau, is iomaí duine a chanann as Gaeilge. In the
traditional singing contest at the Nassau Feis, lots of people sing
in Irish.
Níl mórán eolais
agam faoin nGaeilge ag rannáin ar fud na tíre, ach rinne mé scagadh ar an
idirlíon, agus feicim go bhfuil cúpla focal agus cúpla nasc ar a suímh idirlín. I don’t
have a lot of information about Irish at divisions throughout the country, but
I did a little checking on the internet, and see a few words and a few links on
their websites. Tá
daoine ag foghlaim na cúpla focal.
People are learning a few words. Molaim go dtabharfar níos mó aire don litriú
agus do na hacmhainn nua atá ar fáil, fiú don colún seo, atá sa chartlann
anseo: I recommend that more attention be paid to spelling, to the new
resources that are available, even this column, here is in this archive: http://www.scoilgaeilge.org/t_na_t/
Is iomaí ball den
AOH ag a bhfuil Gaeilge. Lots of AOH members speak
Irish. Ní bhfuair
mé riamh, agus mé i mo bhall, go raibh aon duine diúltach maidir leis an
nGaeilge. I’ve never found, since I’ve been a member,
that anyone was negative about the language. Ceapaim go raibh Mícheál glan mícheart in
1891. I think that Michael was totally wrong in 1891. Gabhaim leithscéal don AOH ar son An Gael as an
rud a dúirt ár n-eagarthóir fadó. On behalf of An Gael, I apologize to the AOH for what our editor said so long ago.
Má
tá eolas agat faoi stair na Gaeilge san AOH, scríobh chugam, le do thoil, ag JamusN@aol.com. If you have information about the history of the language in the AOH, please
write to me, at…