Insights into the Life of Martin Gaughan, an Irish Educator

Mirtn Gachin 1882 - 1959

Sin an teachtaireacht romhphost a fuair m Monica Paton ar an 5 Ean ir 2013, in on le M irt n Gach in, an fear a luann s ansin. Chuir s an teachtaireacht chugamsa siocar gur mise Oifigeach na Gaeilge le Comhairle Cheantar na h ma , ceantar ina dtiteann an Droim M r, it ar oibrigh athair Monica mar thimire taistil idir na blianta 1904 is 1908. That s the e-mail message I received from Monica Paton on the 5th of January 2013, daughter of Martin Gaughan, the man she mentions there. She sent me that message because I was the Irish Language Officer for Omagh District Council (as it was then), the area that the parish of Dromore lies in, where Monica s father had worked as a travelling teacher with the Gaelic League between 1904 and 1908.

Nor thosaigh Monica ag cuart eolais faoina hathair go dt gur chuala s dearth ir l i ag caint faoin ph irt a bh ag M irt n i saol Chonradh na Gaeilge Monica Paton ag caint ar an d igh ar chur s suim i saol oibre a hathair le Conradh na Gaeilge - t ir a mb onn Monica ag dul d go f ill agus in aois bliain is ceithre sc r. Monica didn t begin to research the working life of her father until she heard one of her brothers talking about the part their father had in the Gaelic League Monica Paton talking about he way she took an interest in the working life of her father with the Gaelic league an interest that Monica still pursues at the age of eighty one.

Rugadh a hathair Mirtn Gachin sa bhliain 1882 ar an bhFd Dubh i gceantar Gaeltachta in iarthuaisceart Chontae Mhaigh Eo ach c n cine l c lra a bh aige agus ag f s an os ansin? Seo M ire U Ruadh in, cainteoir d chais n Fh d Dubh agus g rin on le col ceathar de chuid Mh irt n leis an cheist sin a fhreagairt. Her father Martin Gauhan was born in the year 1882 in the Black Sod Gaeltacht area of north west County Mayo, but what kind of background did he have growin up in that area? Here is M ire U Ruadhain, a native speaker form Black Sod, a grand- daughter of a first cousin M irt n s to answer that question.

Bhuel thart anseo ag an am nuair a bh Mirtn ag fs suas darfainn go raibh ruda an-bhocht ar fad. N raibh m r n teacht isteach ag na teaghlaigh. Bh s an-deacair maireacht il mar bh na teaghlaigh an- mh r ag an am. N bheadh tada le f il acu, n raibh aon roinn leasa shoisialaigh, agus n raibh aon phinsin fi amh in le f il ag an am. Well around here at that time when Martin was growing up I d say things were really poor. Families had very little income. It was hard to live because families were so big at the time. They would have had nothing, there was no department of social benefits, there wasn t even a pension then.

Bh siad ag brath ar an fharraige, beagn feirmeoireacht meascaithe agus aon rud mar sin a bheadh siad in ann a dh ol chun teacht isteach beag bheith acu. They were dependent on the sea, a lit bit of mixed farming and anything like that that they could sell to get a little bit of income from.

Bhodh muc ag gach teach ag an am sin agus mhairfeadh siad an mhuc i gcomhar na Nollag. Bh ar na p ist , na gas ir ga obair go crua ar an fheirm agus leis an iascaireacht ag an am bh currach ag gach teach. An raibh clann mh r ann i dteach U Ghach in? Every family would ve had a pig at that time and they would kill the pig for Christmas. The young children had to work hard on the farm and at fishing at that time every household had a curragh. Was there a big family in Gaughan s house?

I dteach Mhirtn fin, d rir mar a thuigim bh deichnir. Cailleadh tri r acu ina p ist ga. Bh cail n amh in a cailleadh thart ar tr bliana d aois de r ir mar a thuigim. Bh a l n cruatain ag an am, bh s deacair agus ag dul chun na scoile bh siad ag si l cos nochtaithe ag an am. In Martin s house, I understand there were ten. Three of them died in infancy. One of the girls died when she was around three years of age. There was a lot of hardship at that time, it was hard and they would ve gone to school barefooted at that time.

Bheadh orthu fd mna bheith leo. Bh s fi amhin deacair an mh in a shabhail ag an am freisin mar bh muid i bhfad go leor na portaigh ach bh scrathacha ar na cnoic agus shabhail siad sin an fh ideog mar a ghlaofa air chun tine a dh anamh. Each child would have brought a sod of turf to school. It was even hard to save the turf at that time also because people were far away from the bogs but there were sods on the hills and they saved these, what they called f ideog , to make a fire.

Nl amhras ar bith ann n go raibh saol crua ag na daoine ar an Fhd Dubh le linn do Mh irt n Gach in bheith ag f s an os ann. M n onn M ire U Ruadh in anseo gur bhain an cruatan seo le trag id in amanna freisin agus measann s gur c is spreagadh a bh i mb s trag ideach uncail de chuid Mh irt n, mar rud a bhruigh chun tosaigh sa tsaol seo chomh maith. There s no doubt that the people of Black Sod had a hard life when Martin Gaughan was growing up there. M ire U Ruadh in explains here that this hardship sometimes led to tragedy and she is of the opinion that the tragic death of an uncle of Martin s was something that pushed him on in life.

Bh timpiste a raibh tionchar aige sin ar shaol Mhirtn freisin M irt n Gach in ainm an fhear sin freisn, mo shean sean athair b dh , sin chomh crua is a bh an saol anseo, b dh i gcuan An Fh id Dhuibh ansin le leaid g naoi mbliana d ag d aois ag tabhairt feamainn bhu n gcarraig n go dt an mh rth r. Sin an sort saoil, an sort obair a bh acu ag an am. There was an accident that had an influence on Martin s life also a man, also called Martin Gaughan my great grandfather was drowned, that s the kind of life and work they had at that time, he was drowned at Black Sod harbour there along with a young lad of nineteen years of age bringing seaweed to the mainland. That s the kind of life they had at the time.

Chuir s sin isteach ar Mhirtn? Chuir s isteach ar gach duine. Fi amh in dearth ir leis d imigh s go dt an Astrail ina dhiaidh n raibh s in ann a th gail. Sin an saol a bh acu bh siad ag brath ar an fharraige. That upset M irt n badly? It affected everybody. A brother of his actually went to Australia afterwards because he wasn t able to take it. That s the life they lived they were dependant on the see.

Nuair a chonaic Mirtn an seans d fin saol nos fearr a bhaint amach, go raibh s in ann a th g il. Bh an t- dh leis go bhfuair s an seans sin. Thuig M irt n mar sin de c n f th go raibh s t bhachtach glacadh le seans ar bith a gheobhadh s chun dul ar aghaidh a dh anamh sa tsaol agus al n chruatan a raibh cuid mh r daoine ag an am sin gafa ann. When Martin saw his chance to improve his lot, he was able to take it. He was lucky to get that chance. Martin understood therefore why it was important to take any chance that would come his way to get on in life and to escape from the hardship that a lot of his contemporaries were not able to get out of.

Insonn Mire U Ruadhain anseo an digh a bhfuair Mirtn a sheans dul ar aghaidh a dh anamh sa tsaol. D arfainn go raibh M irt n an-cliste, an-tuisceanach agus an-cneasta chomh maith le gach rud eile. An seanmhaistir Cearnaigh a bh anseo i Scoil na hEachl ime ag an am b shin an scoil a d imigh M irt n ar scoil chuige ar dt s. M ire U Ruadh in tells here how Martin got his chance to get on in life. I d say Martin was very clever, very understanding and very sincere along with everything else. It was the old master Cearnaigh who was here in Aghleam school at the time that s the school Martin first went to.

Bh an tUasal Cearnaigh ansin ina mhinteoir scoile ach chomh maith le sin tar eis P draig M ille teacht isteach go dt an ceantar le Conradh na Gaeilge ag an am do bhunaigh s craobh de Chonradh na Gaeilge anseo i gceantar Chill Mh ir, Iorras agus rinne s r na den Mh istir Cearnaigh. Agus bh an-suim ag an Uasal Cearnaigh insa ghluaiseacht agus sa Ghaeilge, sa teanga, sna f iseanna agus gach rud eile. Master Cearnaigh was a teacher in the school and when P draig M ille formed a branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in the area here in Cill Mh r, Iorras he appointed M istir Cearnaigh as secretary. Master Cearnaigh was very interested in the Irish language and feiseanna and everything else related to that.

Sa scoil ag an am nach mbeadh mrn ruda ann bheadh drma ar si l acu chleachtaigh siad i gcomhair f iseanna agus i gcomhair gach rud eile ceol, dr ma ocht fil ocht agus caithfidh s gur chonaic an m istir scoile go raibh an-suim ag M irt n sa Ghaeilge bh Ghaeilge an-bhog, cneasta aige agus d arfain gur chonaic s an suim a bh aige ann agus chuir s ar aghaidh go dt na f iseanna. There wouldn t have been much in the school at that time but they still practised drama, music and poetry for the feiseanna and the school master most likely saw that Martin had a great interest in Irish he had lovely Irish I d say he saw the interest Martin had and he sent him on to the feiseanna.

Bhuaigh s duaiseanna ag beagnach gach feis a dfhreastal s air tr Chontae Mhaigh Eo ag an am. Agus sin an it a raibh Dubhghlas de h de agus P draig Mac Piarais mar mholt ir agus phioc siad M irt n fuair s duais uatha fi amh in. Rud eile a spreag M irt n dul ar aghaigh sa tsaol n an tsuim a bh aige sa litr ocht. He won prizes at almost evey feis he attended in County Mayo at that time. And that s where Douglas Hyde and Patrick Pearse were adjudicating and they picked Martin he even got a prize from them. Something else that inspired Martin to get on in life was his interest in literature.

Bh an-suim aige san fhilocht agus sna dnta ar ns Encore le Raifteir agus Preab San l le Riocard Bair ad, file na h ite. Agus chomh maith le sin d imigh s thart ar an rothar ag baili suas folklore ar fud a cheantair in ineacht lena dhearth ir. Bh an-suim aige sa litr ocht i gc na go m r mh r stair na h ite, eolas agus seansc alta n it. Sin go l ir a spreag le dul ar aghaidh d arfainn. He was always very interested in poetry, poems like Raifteir s Encore and Preab San l by the local poet Riocard Bair ad. As well as that he went around on his bike gathering up folklore from throughout the district with his brother. He had a great interest in poetry especially local history, information and old story from the area. I d say all that inspired him to get on.

Nach ioma sl sin do bhos ag daoine Ag cruinni p osa is ag d anamh st ir, 'S a laghad a smaoin os ar dheireadh a tsaoil seo, Go mbeidh muid s nte faoi leac go f ill. M s tiarna t re, di c no r th , N cuirfear pingin leat s t dul faoin bhf d, Mar sin is d bhr sin, n l beart n os cr onna N bheith go s ora ag cur preab san l.

An long thar sile nl cuan n cearda Nach gcuirfeadh cairde ar fud an domhain mh ir, r ocht na Sp inne n suas Gibraltar, N ins an it a mb onn an Grand Signi r, Le gach cargo ag l onadh m la N choinneoinn an b s uait uair n dh , Mar sin is d bhr sin n l beart n os fearr d inn N bheith mar t imid, ag cur preab san l.

Brd Mhic A Bhaird ansin ar col ceathar a sean athair le Mirtn Gach in agus an t-amhr n a bh a cheol aici n Preab San l, amhr n cl iteach de chuid Riocard Bair ad, an file a raibh an-suim ag M irt n ina chuid fil ochta. Br d Mhic A Bhaird there whose grandfather was a cousin of Martin Gaughan singing Preab San l, a famous song of Riocard Bair ad s, whose poetry Martin was very interested in.

I ndiaidh do Mhirtn scolireacht a fhil Chonradh na Gaeilge i dtr tha na bliana 1895, d fhreastal s ar Scoil Naith i mBealach A Doir n, Co Ros Com in ar feadh ceithre bliana sula ndeachaidh s chuig Col iste Oili na do mh inteoir i dTuar Mhic ada , Co Mhaigh Eo. After Martin got a scholarship from Conradh na Gaeilge around 1895, he attended St Nathy s College in Ballaghadereen, Co Roscommon for four years before he went to a teaching college in Tourmakeady in Co Mayo.

Tairiscodh post d mar thimire taistil ar an Droim Mr i gContae Thr Eoghain sa bhliain 1904. Rinne an Claidheamh Solais, iris Chonradh na Gaeilge ag an am, tr cht ar cheapach n Mh irt n U Gach in i m L nasa 1904. He was offered a job as a travelling teacher with Conradh na Gaeilge in Dromore, Co Tyrone in the year 1904. Conradh na Gaeilge s newspaper from that time, An Claidheamh Solais, reported Martin s appointment in its August edition of 1904.

T an stara itiil i gCeantar na hma Seosamh Mirtn, cinnte de gurb an sagart c nta, An tAthair Maiti Mag Uidhir a bh ag feidhmi i bpar iste An Droma Mh ir ag an am a mheall beirt mh inteoir ga go dt Iarthar Th r Eoghain mar thimir taistil, M irt n Gach in mar dhuine acu. Local Omagh historian Joseph Martin is certain that it was Fr Matthew Maguire who was working in Dromore parish at that time who managed to bring two young teachers to West Tyrone as travelling teachers, one of them being Martin Gaughan.

Dobair s i gcna go dian ar son a teanga agus nuair a bh s ina shagart c nta ar an Droim M r mheall s beirt chainteoir d chais chuig an phar iste mar mh inteoir agus mar thimir den Chonradh. An ch ad duine ba sin Se n Seosamh Breathnach as Co Corcaigh agus ansin an dara duine M irt n Gach in as Co Mhaigh Eo. He always worked hard for the language and when he was a curate in Dromore he enticed two native speakers to the parish as teachers and organisers of Conradh na Gaeilge s. The first of these was Se n Seosamh Breathnach from Cork and the second person was Martin Gaughan from Co Mayo.

Ach nl amhras ar bith n gurbh eisean amhin a tharraing iad go dt An Droim M r. Is d cha ar an d igh c anna is a mheall s S amus Grianna an t- dar M ire chuig Cill Scire n os moille. Mar a scr obh M ire sa leabhar s aige, Saol Corrach, Thug m an os anseo th , arsa an tAthair Mait cionn is go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar is ceart agat. D bhfaigheann saol fada go leor n bheadh aon mh inteoir i mo phar iste ach m inteoir as an Ghaeltacht. But there s no doubt that he was the man who brought them to Dromore. I suppose in the same way that he brought S amus Grianna the author M ire to Killskeery later on. As M ire wrote in his book Saol Corrach, I brought you here, Fr Matt said because you speak Irish properly. If I lived long enough I would have no other teachers in my parish other than native Irish speakers.

An t-am seo insonn Seosamh Mirtn dinn crbh Mait Mag Uidhir agus an r l l rnach a bh aige sa sc al seo. Bh an tAthair Mait Mag Uidhir i measc na ndaoine is t bhachta agus is suntasa i stair Chonradh na Gaeilge i dT r Eoghain agus i gC ige Uladh ag t s an fichi c ad. This time Joseph Martin tells us who Matt Maguire was and the central role that he had in this story. Fr Matt Maguire was among the most important and most remarkable people in the life of Conradh na Gaeilge in Tyrone and in Ulster at the start of the 20th Century.

Rugadh sa bhliain 1860 i gContae Fhear Manach in aice le Lios na Sceithe. Orna odh i gCol iste Ph draig Maigh Nuad agus d obair s mar shagart c nta ar feadh tr bliana d ag i bpar ist i gContae Mhuineach in. Ach chaith s an cuid eile d shaothair i dT r Eoghain ocht mbliana ar An Droim M r 1898 go dt 1906 agus ina dhiaidh sin chuaigh s mar shagart par iste go dt Cill Scire, Tr Leac mar a fuair s b s i 1927. He was born in 1860 in County Fermanagh beside Lisnaskea. He was ordained in St Patrick s College, Maynooth and he worked for thirteen years in parishes in County Monaghan. But he spend the rest of his working life in Tyrone eight years in Dromore from 1898 until 1906 and after that he went to Killskeery, Trillick as parish priest where he died in 1927.

Ach bh an-suim aige i gcna sa teanga Gaeilge agus sa chultr Gaelach. Bh baint m r aige le Conradh na Gaeilge agus bh sean aithne aige ar an chuid is m de na daoine t bhachtacha sa ghluaiseacht sin, mar shampla Dubhghlas de h de a chur an Conradh ar bun agus P draig Mac Piarais a bh ina eagarth ir ar an Chlaidheamh Solais 1903 go dt 1909. But he was always interested in the Irish language and in Irish culture. He had a big say in Conradh na Gaeilge and he knew well the most important people in that movement. For example Douglas Hyde a founder of the Gaelic League and Patrick Pearse who was the editor of An Claidheamh Solais from 1903 until 1909.

Cn rl a bh ag an Athair Mag Uidhir fin i saol Chonradh na Gaeilge? Bh s ina bhall de choiste gn tha den Chonradh, bh s sin an- t bhachtach ar fad. Lena chois sin bh s ina uachtar n ar Dh il Uladh, ba sin craobh Uladh de Chonradh na Gaeilge. Chuir s Conradh na Gaeilge ar bun ar An Droim M r agus n os moille i dTr Leac. What role did Fr Maguire have himself in Conradh na Gaeilge? He was a member of the business committee of the League, which was very important. Besides that he was president of the the Ulster branch of Conradh na Gaeilge D il Uladh. He founded branches of Conradh na Gaeilge in Dromore and later in Trillick.

Agus bh lmh an mhr aige sa choliste Gaeilge I gCloch Ceann Fhaola i nD n na nGall a chur Conradh na Gaeilge ar bun agus sa col iste samhraidh a cuireadh ar bun ar An Chaisle n Glas i dT r Eoghain. And he had a big hand in the Irish college in Clochaneely in Donegal that Conradh na Gaeilge founded and in the summer college that was founded in Greencastle in Tyrone.

Mar a dirt Seosamh Mairtn ba An tAthair Mait bunaitheoir craobh nua de Chonradh na Gaeilge ar An Droim M r. Tharla s sin i m na Bealtaine 1904 agus i nd ir re eisean an duine is m a spreag gluaiseacht na Gaeilge an oiread sin sa cheantar gur aithn odh an chraobh nua iti il mar chraobh eiseaml ireach ar fud na h ireann. As Joseph Martin said Father Matt was the founder of the new branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in Dromore. This happened in the year 1904 and he was surely the person who inspired the Irish language movement so much in the area that the new branch was recognised as a model branch throughout Ireland.

Dfhreastal Pdraig Mac Piarais fad agus a bh s ina eagarthir ar an Chlaidheamh Solais agus Tom s Con Cheanainn, duine de mh r ceannair Chonradh na Gaeilge ag an am, ar sheoladh na craoibhe nua ar An Droim M r mar aithint ar an dul chun cinn a bh a dh anamh ag an Athair Mag Uidhir. Patrick Pearse, while he was editor of An Claidheamh Solais, attended along with one of the main leaders of Conradh na Gaeilge at the time, Tom s Concannon, the launch of the new branch in Dromore in recognition of the progress that Fr Maguire was making.

Tuairiscodh an borramh a bh tagtha ar ghluaiseacht athbheoch n na Gaeilge ar an Droim M r ag an am seo sa nuacht n iti il The Ulster Herald. The growth on the Irish language revival movement in Dromore was reported at the time in the local newspaper, The Ulster Herald.

Thaispen bunaitheoir Chonradh na Gaeilge, Dubhghlas de hde taca ocht don chraobh nua den Chonradh mar a tuairsc odh san Ulster Herald i dtr tha an ama c anna. A founder of Conradh na Gaeilge, Douglas Hyde showed his support for the new branch of the League as was reported in the Ulster Herald around the same time.

Ag sgoraocht a bh a rechtil ag an chraobh nua bhunaithe de Chonradh na Gaeilge i m I il sa bhliain 1904 d irt an tAthair Matt Ina measc si d bh Horace Plunkett a bhunaigh the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society agus an sagart osag nach an tAthair Thomas A Finlay a bh ina leas uachtar n ar an eagra ocht sin. At a Social Evening that was organised by the new branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in July, 1904 Fr Matt said Among them were Horace Plunkett who founded the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society and the Jesuit priest Fr Thomas A Finlay who was vice president of that that organisation.

Teachta Parlaiminte agus Aontachtir ba ea Horace Plunkett a chreid go laidir mar aon leis an Athair Finlay i bprionsabal an fh inch namh agus i ngluaiseacht na gcomharchumann, gluaiseacht a raibh siad beirt mar cheannr da air. I leitir a chur an tAthair Finlay chuig an Athair Mait Mag Uidhir rinne s comhghairdeas leis Horace Plunkett was a Unionist who along with Fr Finlay believed in the principal of self-help and in the co-operative movement, a movement that they both pioneered. In a letter that Fr Finlay sent to Fr Matt Maguire he congratulated him

Ceanglaodh prionsabal an fin cnamh le gluaiseacht na Gaeilge chun cur chuige dh thaobhach a chur i gcr ch, cur chuige a raibh s mar aidhm aige stop a chur leis an imirce a bh ag ban na tuaithe da cuid daoine ga agus a chuirfeadh le f in muin n na ndaoine i gcoitinne. Mar a d irt an tAthair Finlay ag an am agus ag caint ag cruinni a bh ar si l ar an Droim M r sa bhliain 1904 The principle of self-help and the Irish language movement were connected to implement a two-pronged approach, an approach that aimed to put a stop to the emigration that was clearing the countryside of its young people and that would increase the self- confidence of Irish people generally. As Fr Finlay said at that time while speaking at a meeting that was happening in Dromore in 1904

An fhs a bh ag an Athair Mag Uidhir n an d ghluaiseacht gluaiseacht na Gaeilge agus gluaiseacht na tionscala ochta a fhorbairt le ch ile agus an d phrionsabal a bhain leo a chur i gcr ch i bpar iste an Droma Mh ir. The vision that Fr Maguire had was to develop those two movements the Irish Ireland movement and the industrial movement and to implement the two principles that related to them in the parish of Dromore.

Chomh luath le 1901 bhunaigh Mag Uidhir tionscal an lnadaigh a raibh an t-ainm St Mc Cartan s Home Industries Society air agus a raibh 200 cail n fostaithe ann ag d anamh cr ise la agus l sad ireachta. Cuireadh i gcr ch sc im eile faoi choimirce an Athair Finlay agus Horace Plunkett a raibh the Home Brightening Scheme mar ainm air ar an Droim M r ag an am seo chun feabhas a chur ar na tithe c naithe. As early as 1901 Maguire had set up a linen industry called the St Mc Cartan s Home Industry Society that employed 200 girls in crocheting and lace making. Another scheme that was encouraged at this time by Fr Finlay and Horace Plunkett in Dromore was the Home Brightening scheme designed to improve the homes of the people there.

Lironn daonaireamh na bliana 1901 go raibh dornn daoine sa phar iste go f ill a raibh an Ghaeilge acu dh chas ach d r ir an stara iti il n Droim M r Pat Mc Donnell ba c rsa talaimh an chloch is m a bh ar ph idr n na ndaoine ag an am. The census of 1901 shows that there was still a handful of native Irish speakers in the Dromore parish but according to local historian pat Mc Donnell the question of land ownership was a bigger issue for the people at that time.

T Pat den tuairim nach daoine iad a bh in sle br ach gur daoine a raibh f in muin n acu astu f in. Luann s an cruinni m r a bh eagraithe ag an ghn omha polait ochta John Muldoon ar an Droim M r sa bhliain 1884 mar fhianaise ar an mh id seo Pat is of the opinion that these people were not a people who felt oppressed, instead he feels they were a self-confident people. He quotes the big meeting organised in Dromore in 1884 by a local political activist at that time called John Muldoon as evidence of this

Seo an Droim Mr ar thinig Mirtn Gachin chuige sa bhliain 1904. Daoine iad a raibh f ith an t rghr go laidir iontu ach daoine a bh oscailte glacadh le smaoint nua a chuirfeadh feabhas ar an tsaol a bh acu. M n onn in on Mh irt n, Monica an taobh seo den sc al This is the Dromore that Martin Gaughan came to in the year 1904. Here was a people who were strongly patriotic but who were also obviously open to the new ideas that were being introduced to improve their lives. Martin s daughter Monica explains this part of the story

An dualgas a bh ag Mirtn Gachin n an fhs a bh ag an Athair Mag Uidhir a chur i gcr ch sa phar iste. L ir onn an m id at le r ag an Dr Peadar Mac Gabhann anseo c chomh m r is a bh an d shl n sin agus c chomh huaillmhianach is a bh Conradh na Gaeilge mar ghluaiseacht ag an am seo i stair na h ireann. Martin Gaughan s responsibility was to implement the vision that Fr Maguire had for this parish. Dr Peadar Mac Gabhann, lecturer in Irish at the University of Ulster, Derry explains here how big a responsibility that was and how ambitious an organisation the Gaelic League was at this time in the history of Ireland.

Molann s an tAthair Mag Uidhir anseo fosta as ucht an achta a rinne s craobh chomh luath agus l idir de Chonradh na Gaeilge a bhun i gceantar tuaithe. Peadar praises Fr Maguire here as well for his vision in being able to found such a strong and early branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in a rural area.

Is dcha gur duine iontach fadcheannach a bh i Mag Uidhir agus gur duine arbh as an choitiantach . Caithfidh muid smaoineadh ar an chomhtheacs gur buna odh Conradh na Gaeilge sa bhliain 1893 agus an dul chun cinn a rinneadh san eagra ocht, bh s malltriallach go leor insa ch ad deich mbliain, agus mar sin de bh arfaidh s sin suas sinne go dt thart ar 1903. Maguire must have been a very farsighted person who was extraordinary in many ways. If we put this into context we will see that Conradh na Gaeilge was founded in 1893 but not much progress was made in that organisation for the first ten years, and that takes us up until 1903.

Faoi 1906 mar shampla t nos m n cad fostaithe ar thuarastal l naimseartha ag an Chonradh go n isi nta is go hidirn isi nta sin cuid mh r daoine. Mar sin de, t muid ag caint ar an bhliain 1904 agus is l ir domhsa gur rud as an choitiantacht a bh curtha i gcr ch aige. By 1906 for example there are more than one hundred people employed full time by Conradh na Gaeilge at national and international level that s a lot of people. We re talking about the year 1904 here at this stage and it seems to me that he had achieved something out of the ordinary.

Is sin le r gur irigh leis craobh a bhun amuigh faoin tuath, chan istigh i mbaile m r n i gcathair agus is l iri sin go raibh rud igin f leith ag titim amach in intinn Mhig Uidhir. Agus rud eile de nuair a smoin onn t air, in eagra ocht mar sin b onn coiste de dh th ort, b onn r na de dh th ort, b onn cathaoirleach agus cisteoir agus mar sin de. That s to say that he succeeded in forming a new branch, not in a town or a city but in a rural area and that shows that Maguire was thinking in an extraordinary way. And another thing when you think about it, in an organisation like that you need a committee, you need a secretary, you need a chairman and a treasurer and so on.

T muid ag caint ar daonra iontach beag sa cheantar sin, ach chan amh in sin smaointigh ar na dala maireacht la a bh ag na daoine san am bun s na ndaoine bh siad amuigh i mbun sclabha ocht talaimh, amuigh ar na feirmeacha beaga ag sclabha ocht ar son dhaoine eile n ar a son f in agus iad ag obair dhubh go dubh, agus iad ag teacht chun a bhaile go dt tithe beaga a bh dorcha agus cuid mh r den am go raibh siad tais agus fuar. We re talking about a very small population in that area, and not only that but think of the livelihoods that people had at that time most of them were employed in farm labouring, out labouring on small farms for other people or for themselves from morning til night, and them coming home to small houses that were dark and also often cold and damp.