Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1883 — Ireland’s Original Tongue. [ARTICLE]

Ireland’s Original Tongue.

The report of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language states that at the commencement of the present century probably not more than 400 t persons could read and write Irish, whereas this society alone has disposed of over 62,000 elementary Irish books. The number of persons in Ireland who speak the old language is nearly 950,000, as against nearly 818,000 in 1871, although the population has, during that period, diminished in round numbers 252,000 persons. This, as pointed out, is nearly equal to the Welsh people speaking Welch. “Not only,” it is observed “has Leinster increased its number of Irish-speaking inhabitants, but Dublin has made a considerable advance in this respect, partly fulfilling the old Irish prophecy.” A Philadelphia paper suggests: “If over-production makes a dull hop market, under-production should make a dull market hop.” ?