Caṫal Bruġa, T.D., Ar an Ólaċán Dáil Éireann, Aireaċt Cosanta.
Tar éis a ḃfuil de anró curṫa ḋíoḃ ag munitir na hÉireann toisg a ḋílse is a leanadar de’n ḃóṫar cuṁang deacraċ ċun na saoirseaċta, is beag duine ná déarfaḋ go ḃfuil saoirse lántuillte aca. Tá ar a luiġead, aṁṫaċ ao’ rud aṁáin eile le déanaṁ aca, agus bḟeidir ná fuiġiḋ siad a ḃfuil uaṫa go mbéiḋ sé déanta aca, eaḋon, éirġe as an droċ-nós baoṫ atá ar siuḃal aca go ró-ḟada. Sé droċ-nós é sin ná ḃeiṫ ag caiṫeaṁ na milliún púnt ar ól. Ní hé aṁáin go ndéanid díoġḃáil dá gcorp is dá n-aigne dá ḃárr so, aċt táid siad, ag coṫuġaḋ a ndearg náṁad, agus ag caḃruġaḋ leis ċun iad féin a ċoiméad i ngéiḃinn. Tá na mílte fear ’nár measg fé láṫair—gan tráċt ar na mnáiḃ—atá ullaṁ aon uair a ġlaoḋtar orra, dul amaċ agus aġaiḋ a ṫaḃairt ar an mbás ar son na hÉireann. Támuid tar éis iongantas dó ċur ar ċiniḋeaċa eile go raḃtas ag gaḃáilt de ċosaib iannta le fada, agus anois táid siad ag cur a gcos i dtalaṁ agus ag taḃairt go fearaṁail fé’n dtíoránaċ. Sinn-ne fé ndeara soin; sinn-ne a ṁúin dóiḃ é.
Agus siúd is gur mar seo atá an sgéal, tá daoine againn annso. Agus na céadta aca leis, foraoir, agus is beag lá imṫiġeann ṫorainn ná caiṫid siad scilling nó dó, nó trí, nó bḟéidir níos mó, a d’iarrid an craos so ċun óil do ṡáṡaṁ. Éirinniġ ag dortaḋ airgid isteaċ i bpóca Ṡeán Ḃuiḋe! An ḃfuilmíd ’nár leanḃaiḃ fós nó cáṫain a ṫiocfaiḋ ciall ḋúinn? A gcuirimíd aon tsuim in obair ḃuaniġṫe an tSaorstáit? An ar son a leiṫéid a lean Toirḃealaċ croḋ’a de’n troscaḋ ó ló go ló ó ṡeaċtṁain go ċéile agus ó ṁí go mí go dtí go raiḃ an t-anam uasal gan teiṁeal imṫiġṫe as fé ḋeireaḋ? An ċun saorse do ḃronnaḋ orra so a ṡeas Seán Mac Diarmuda os coṁair an gasra laṁaċta agus áṫas ar a ċroide agus lasaḋ in a ṡúiliḃ? Naċ léir dos na daoiniḃ seo naċ féidir an ruaig do ċur ar Ṡeán Buiḋe an ḟaid is atáid siad-san ag caḃruġaḋ leis ar an gcuma so? An féidir a ċur i dtuisgint dóiḃ gur fearr atá obair Ṡásana i nÉirinn á ḋéanaṁ aca ná a ḟéadfaḋ na Sasanaiġ féin i ḋéanaṁ? Caiṫfear é do cuir i dtuisgint dóiḃ caiṫfear a ṫairbaint dóiḃ cad é an dualgas atá orra.
Pé leiṫsgéal do ḃí aca go dtí so ní ḃéiḋ aon leiṫsgéal aca in a ḋiaiḃ sin. Agus má leanaid den díṫċéille seo níl le déanaṁ againne aċt luċt an ḟill a ṫaḃairt orra, agus íde luċt, an ḟill a ṫaḃairt dóiḃ. Is ró-ḟoiḋneaċ a ḃíomar go nuige seo. Bḟéidir naċ fada uainn an lá nuair a ḃéiḋ orainn roġa George Washington a ṫaḃairt do’n náṁaid ’nár measg.
Agus an measa aon naṁaid dá ḃfuil againn ná iad-so a ṫugann Éireannaiġ orra féin, agus in ionad beart do ḋeanaṁ dá réir, a ṫuilleann droċ-ṁeas is droċ-iontaoiḃ an ṗobail de ḋeascaiḃ an ólaċain, i dtreó gur éigin iad do ċur ar aon áireaṁ le náiṁdiḃ iasaċta.
CAṪAL BRUĠA.
English Translation (On The Drink Question).
After the hardships that have been endured by the Irish people on account of the faith and loyalty they have shown in traversing the hard, narrow road to freedom, there are few people who will say that they have not fully deserved their freedom. There is, however, at least one more thing to be done, and perhaps they will not reach the goal of their ambitions until they have done it, and that is throw aside the bad, foolish habit that has been too long prevalent in our midst, that of spending millions of pounds on drink. Those who indulge in strong drink not only injure their bodies and minds by their drinking, but they support their deadly enemy and help him to keep themselves in slavery. There are thousands of men amongst us, not to mention women, who are ready at any moment to obey the call and go out and face death for Ireland. We have recently amazed the nations of the world by our power of resistance and our heroism. On account of what we have done other subject nations who have long endured the lash of the tyrant, are standing firm and manfully facing their persecutors. It is we who are responsible for this, it is we who have taught them to fight.
And while this is true there are people, hundreds of them, alas! and hardly a day passes that they do not spend a shilling or two or three or perhaps more in satisfying their gluttony for drink. Irishmen heaping money into the pockets of John Bull! Are we still infants or when shall we get sense? Do we give any heed to the work of firmly establishing the Republic. Was it for purpose like these that the brave Terence MacSwiney preserved in his fast from day to day, from week to week and from month to month until his noble, stainless soul parted from his body? Was it to bestow freedom on such that Seán MacDermot faced the firing party with joy in his heart and flame in his eyes?
Is it not clear to these people who indulge in drink that it is impossible to drive John Bull from our shores while they are aiding him in this manner? Is it possible to convince them they are doing the work of England in Ireland better than Englishmen could do it themselves? They must be convinced! They must be made to realise their duties in this matter.
However these people may have been excused in the past, they shall have no excuse in the future. If they persist in this folly we shall have no other alternative but to brand them as traitors and deal with them as traitors deserve. Too patient we have been with them up to this, but perhaps the day is not far distant when we shall have to give George Washington’s choice to this enemy in our midst.
Can we have any greater enemy than people who call themselves Irishmen, but who, instead of acting as Irishmen should, deserve the contempt and distrust of the whole nation on account of their drinking; so much so that we are compelled to put them in the same category with our foreign enemies.
IRELAND’S DRINK BILL.
1919—£30,400,000 Tax, £11,250,000
1920—£42,000,000 Tax, £12,000,000
NOTE.—There is a reduction in the amount of spirits and wine consumed in 1920, but an increase in beer consumption of twenty million gallons.