GAELIC NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 49, 5 April 1895, Page 9

GAELIC NOTES.

The Irish name for the present month is Abraon — and the first day of the month takes the cl'Bsio title of Ld amaddi an domhain. Formerly, under the old division of the year iDto four pirti, the month was known as Ml dte'gheanacb an Earraigh — the last month of spring. Dr Douglas Hyde, under his notn de plume of "An Ohraoibbin Aoibhina," has contributed a couple of poems to a recent number ol the Weekly Freeman. The shorter of them runs as follows :—: — Ni aithnigheann daoine A sonas fein, Agus iad ag caoineadb I lar a sein, Agus lid go h-aoibhiun I lar a lein, Is cosmhu.il iad Le ealta eun. Ni aithnigheann daoine Go cearth a leas Ni leanaid an fhlrinn' Le grain sti meas, Nuair leanaid It ruaig An nidh \& deas An nidh t& fiantach Go dteidheann cc as, Practical steps are now being taken for the establishment of an annual Irish Fas or festival for the encouragement of Celtic music.

Talking of Celtic music, a description given in Bunting 1 * Ancient Music of Ireland of an Irish harper and hia performance before the List) House of Commons m iy not be thought out of place. The harper in question was named Jeromo Duigenan, and had been b)rn in the County Leitritn in tha year 1710. The occasion was that of a bet made by Colonel Jones of Drumsbambo, Member, at the time in question, for the county, with a certain E igiish nobleman, that he would produce an Irish harper to beat one whom the nobleman referred to had brought over from Wales. His man, be said, moreover, wore ne.t'ier linen nor wjolleu — and, in fact, Duigenan's sole wear was a stuff called rauthacJi, mtde out of batten ruthta. Of this be were a dress, and a mm tie somewhat after the fashion of a Scotch plaM. "On Duigenan's arrival in Dublin the Col nel acquaint* d the Members with the nature of his bet, and they requested that it might be decided in the House of Commons, befora business commenced. The two hirpirs perfumed before all the Members accordingly, and it was unanimously decided in favour of Duigenan, who wore his full eauthaoh dress, anl a cip of the same stuff, shaped like a sugar-loaf, with many tassels; be waa a tall, handsome man, and looked very well in it."

A propos of April day, here is a proverb that may have some comfort, for some of us, in ir. Biih aih air amadiin. Father Ulick Bouke gives it in Latin as follows : — Fortuna Javet fatuis.

Mr Arthur M, Forrester, a well-kno*rn Ir sh Am >ricaa j >urna Ist, died on Sunday, J .nuary 13 h, at bis home in rtouth Boston. Mr Forrester was a native of B illytrain, County Mona^hao, and was born January ikh, 1850. In. curly lifrf hi displayed literary ability, and in 1865 be wrote for the Irish People under the pen-name of "Angus." Oae of his articles iv the suppressed edition wis quoted by the Attorney-Gnneral in hisopening statement against O' Donovan Ros9a. Mr Forrester came to Dublin in Dec^mbdr of that y«»r to take part in an anticipated Fenian movement, and remained here until after the suspension of the Habe.B Corpus Act in the following February. In 1867 he led two circle^ of the Manchester Fenians in the abortive raid on Chester Castle, after wh oh he again returned to Dublin. He was arrested on M^rch 9, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year at hard labour for carrying arms in a " proclaimed " disrict. On his release he was elec ed organi-ier anl arms ag^nt of the North of Rutland division of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherboo i. He was again arrested on D cember 16, '69 in Liverpool. After three eximma ions, in which he defended nim"elf, he was discharged on bail to keep the peace for twelve mo >ths. In 187J Mr Forrester joined a company of frano tireura, nd served under General D'Aurelle de Paladine and General Ohaczy, during the FrancoGorman War. At the battle of Conneref, in the series of engagements around Le Mans, on Jinuary 8, 1871, he was promoted to be sous-lieutenant for saving a battery after the lieutenant and every sergeant of the company had been killed. H rom 1871 to 1874, Mr Forrester served as organiser and arras agent for the Benior Council in Ulster, England, and Scotland. In August of the latter year he lost bis right loot by a railroad accident. For thr^e yarn, beginning with '84, be was the assistant editor cf the Irish World Mr Forrester published one volume of poems, " Songs of the rising generation," and a work of verse and prose called ' An Irish crazy quilt,"— Dublin Freeman.