ANNUAL GATHERING OF THE OTAGO GAELIC ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 14, 6 August 1897, Page 19

ANNUAL GATHERING OF THE OTAGO GAELIC ASSOCIATION.

Thk annual gathering of the Gaelic Association took place in the Garrison Hall on Friday evening, 3(»th ult., and was marked by great enthusiasm. The Hon. John MoKenzie, Chief, presided and a representative and influential assemblage of friends and citizens crowded the platform, including the Hons. J. G. Ward and J. McGregor, the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr. Gourley), the Very Rev. Father O'Neill (Milton), Rev. Father Murphy, Mr. J. F. M. Fraser, the officials of the Society, and deputations from kindred societies. The body of the hall and gallery were well filled with an oiderly and appreciative audience. The opening speech of the Chief was a vigorous piece of rhetoric in which the advantage of such associations was dwelt on together with a short resume of the benefits conferred on the British Empire by the Celtic race, formed of the Highlanders, the Irish and Welsh. The Hon. J. G. Ward, who on rising was accorded a most hearty reception, expressed his pleasure at seeing the Chief in buch good form, and acknowledged himself under many obligations to the McKenzies, who, he said, were bound to win. ! The Chief then called on his friend, Father O'Neill, whom, he said, he had specially invited to tho gathering and who on a former occasion had enlivened their meeting by his presence and his words. Father O'Neill's appearance was' the signal for a real Celtic welcome. He expressed his acknowledgments for the kindly manner in which the chairman had introduced him, the first effect of which was to give him a nervous twitch, from which he only recovered on seeing the smiling and encouraging faces beaming all round him. It gave him great pleasure to be there with them that evening, for such meetings tended to draw closer the bonds that united the seadivided Gael. They were all descended of the same stock and whether they hailed from the Emerald Isle or the Highlands of Scotland a tie existed between them that was cemented by a common language and habits and traditions that were common to both peoples. He had always since his school-boy days felt a leaning towards the picturesque Highland costume and this feeling was intensified when he learnt that among the various disguises adopted by the outlawed pastors of his native land in the dark and evil days when the iron heel of oppression crushed heavily upon our forefathers, the Highland piper's dress held a prominent place. The venerable man who adopted this method of eluding the vigilance of his enemies whilst he gave the consolatiems of religion to his scattered flock, was an expert player on the pipes and though a heavy price was placed upon his head and the blood-hounds were often set upon his track he succeeded in outwitting all their efforts to discover him. Little did they know that the piper who often played right in the midst of them and for a while charmed away their wrath was the object of all their fruitless raids and vain curses. Among the many memorials of those evil days, now gone for ever thank God. that have come down to us, there is not one more interesting than the portrait in oils which hangs upon the walls of the episcopal residence in Cavan. representing the glorious confessor in all the grandeur of his kilt and tartan, with his pipes slung over his shoulder. The rev. speaker made mention of the fact that (i at lie societies were spreading. Ireland was making great strides in the direction of reviving the knowledge of her ancient I'iniruage. And m New Zealand, though a good deal more might be done ty those who had an intimate acquaintance with that language that ■• melts into mu-ie,"' that language which was ancient and honoured before English came into existence, through the boiling over of the philological cauldron in which all the lingual ingredients of Europe had been minuled. yet he could testily that the language was not entirely neukcted in our adopted country. He was glad to be able to inform the meeting that in addition t>> other soou ties similar b> this already in existence, a movement was on fool m Tokomainro to form a Gaelic Society on the lines of this one. which would take m the various branches of the Celtic rice represented in the distnct. lie hail been inged to take an active part m the matte r by a good natureil lonian on the groui d that he was a Huhl inder who happened to get born outside h s native land (laughter). Father O'Neill summed up the prominent features of the Celtic character by saying it was remarkable for tenacity, with a lair share of vivacity, all admitted its sagacity and it proved its own capieitv: it wa- tinged with some loquacit^ and had the deuce s own audacity (lniuhter and applause). A yam d entertainment followed, in which Highland reels by young people in costume, intei-sper-eel with a tew Gaelic songs and solos trom Miss K. Blaney. Mr. J ago, and several others tormeel a conspicuous part. On the motion of Father O'Neill a ringing vote of thanks was accorded to the g ran I old chief, New Zealand's present uncrowned king.