Gaeilge
As The Gaelic American, Meitheamh 23, 1906.
SLÁN AN ĊRAOIḂÍN LE H-AMERIOCA
A Ċáirde agus a Ċlanna Gaeḋeal i n-Amerioca, ar n-imṫeaċt dam ṫar saile arís, agus mé ag dul a-ḃaile go h-Éirinn, buḋ ṁaiṫ liom focal buiḋeaċais do ráḋ liḃ go léir, ’s mo ċúig ṡeaċt míle slán ’s beannaċt d’ḟágḃáil agaiḃ ins gaċ aon áit in a-ḃfuil siḃ sgapṫa ar fud na tíre iongantaiġe seo.
Do ṡiuḃal mé an tír síos suas, soir siar, ó ḋeas agus ó ṫuaiḋ, ’s ní ḃfuair mé i n-aon áit aċt fáilte agus fiċid. Cibé áit ar laḃair mé ann, agus ar ċuir mé i gcéill ann an teagasg nuaḋ so, teagasg Connarṫa na Gaeḋeilge, d’aontaiġ na daoine leis, agus ḃíodar go léir ar aon inntinn leis na daoiniḃ insan mbaile. Agus ní h-é aṁáin go raḃafar ar aon inntinn, agus ar aon ḟocal linn, aċt ḃíodar fial flaiṫeaṁail, croiḋeaṁail cineálta, ag cuidiuġaḋ linn ar gaċ aon ċuma, ag cur meisniġ in ár gcroiḋṫiḃ, agus ag cur airgid in ár gciste, ċum Éire Ġaeḋealaċ do ċur ar bun i n-Éirinn arís.
Do ṡiuḃal mé anois suas le naoi míle déag de ṁíltiḃ, ’s do ṫug mé cuairt ar idir tri fiċid agus ceiṫre fiċid de ċaṫraċraiḃ, agus ṁíniġ mé cúis na Gaeḋeilge i ḃfiaḋnuise ceiṫre míle fiċid de ḋaoiniḃ no níos mo de daoiniḃ, agus níor ċualaiḋ mé aon ḟocal i n-aon ḃaile-ṁór aca naċ raiḃ fáḋḃaraċ do’n ċúis. Agus ḃí na Paipearai nuaiḋeaċt ins gaċ aon áit níos mó ná cineálta.
Tuigim anois ar nós nár ṫuig mé riaṁ é, ċoṁ mór agus atá an tír seo, agus ċoṁ fairsing tréan cúṁaċtaċ agus atá na h-Éireannaiġ innti, agus árdóċaiḋ an sgéal sin croiḋe gaċ Éireannaiġ ins an mbaile nuair cloisfiḋ sé é.
Do ċuir mé m’ḟíor-ḃuiḋeaċas i gcéill le litreaċaiḃ do ṁórán de na cáirdiḃ do casaḋ orm, aċt ḃí morán eile aca naċ raiḃ aon am agam litreaċa do ċur ċuca, ’s iarrfaiḋ mé orra an leiṫsgéal so do ġaḃail uaim, óir ni raiḃ mórán ama agam dam fein le gaċ niḋ do ḋéanaṁ mar buḋ ṁaiṫ liom.
Ḃeirim na mílte buiḋeaċas do na h-ard-easbogaiḃ do na h-easbogaiḃ, agus do’n eaglais go léir ar son ċoṁ tapa agus ṫuigeadar briġ mo sgéil, agus ar son ċoṁ croiḋeaṁail agus do ċuidiġeadar liom.
Agus ni na h-Éireannaiġ aṁáin d’á ḃfuilim buiḋeaċ, aċt do na h-Americánaiġ féin mar an gcéadna. Tá cosaṁlaċt ṁór idir an dá ċine, agus fuair mé gur ḟág muinntir na h-Éireann a lorg féin ar inntinn agus ar ċáil agus ar spiorad na h-Americánaċ. Is beag áit naċ ḃfuil braon no dó d’ḟuil na nGaeḋeal le fáġail ameasg na ndaoine. B’ḟearr liom deaġ-ṫoil na tíre seo ’ná aon rud eile ins an troid atá ar bun againn ċum tranga céol agus beusa na h-Éireann do ṫaḃairt ar ais. Agus má támaoid geal agus dílis dúinn féin geoḃamaoid sin uaṫa.
Tá mé seaċt míosa in ḃúr measg ó’n lá ṫáinig mé go dti an lá indiú agus tá brón orm mé ḃéiṫ ag ḃur ḃfágḃáil, aċt an niḋ do ċuir mé róṁam tá sé déanta agam agus ní’l aon Éireannaċ ins an tír seo ar féidir leis a ráḋ naċ dtuigeann sé anois cad tá Connraḋ na Gaeḋilge a déanaṁ i n-Éirinn. Beanaċt dé liḃ go leir
Mise
AN CRAOIḂÍN.
English
From The Gaelic American, June 23, 1906.
O, friends and children of the Gael in America, I am departing again beyond the seas, and I am going home to Ireland. I would like to say a word of thanks to you all and to leave with you my seven thousand farewells and blessings in each single spot in which you are scattered throughout this wondrous country. I have travelled the land up and down, East and West, North and South, and I have found nothing in any place except a welcome and twenty. In whatsoever place I spoke and explained this new teaching, the teaching of the Gaelic League, the people have accepted it and they have been all of one mind with the people at home, and it is not alone that they were of one mind and one word with us, but they were also generous and open and kind and hearty, assisting us in every way, putting courage in our hearts and putting money in our treasury in order to establish a Gaelic Ireland again in Erin.
I have travelled now close upon nineteen thousand miles, and I have visited between three and four-score cities, and I have explained the cause of the Irish language in the presence of eighty thousand people or more, and I have not heard a single word in any town of those that was not favourable to our case, and the newspapers were everywhere more than kind.
I understand now in a way in which I never understood it before, how great is this country and how numerous and strong and powerful are the Irish who are in it, and these tidings will raise the heart of every Irishman at home when he hears them.
I have expressed my deep thanks by letters to many of the friends whom I met, but there were many others to whom I had no time to send letters, and I shall ask of them to accept this excuse from me, for I had not much time to myself to do everything as I should have liked.
I offer a thousand thanks to the Archbishops, to the Bishops, and to all the clergy for so readily understanding the meaning of my story and for heartily helping me as they have done; and it is not to the Irish alone that I am grateful, but to the Americans themselves also. There is a great likeness between the two nations, and I have found that the people of Ireland have left their own mark on the mind and character and spirit of the Americans. There are few places in which there is not a drop or two of the blood of the Gael to be found among the people. I would sooner have the goodwill of this country than anything else in the struggle which we have set on foot to bring back the language and music and customs of Ireland, and if we are loyal and faithful to ourselves we shall get that from them.
I have been seven months among you from the day I arrived until this day, and there is grief on me to be leaving you, but the thing which I set before me I have now done and there is no Irishman in this country who can say that he does not understand now what the Gaelic League is doing in Erin. The blessing of God with you all.
I am,
AN CRAOIBHIN.