The Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge) was founded on July 31, 1893, to promote Irish language and culture which was facing a massive decline. Key members were Eoin MacNeill and its first president Douglas Hyde. Eoin MacNéill's emphasis on spoken Irish appealed to many younger members of existing antiquarian societies, who felt that organizations such as the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language and the Gaelic Union lacked the dynamism necessary to safeguard Gaelic as a living language.
The impact of a loss of the self-image and self-definition that a language provides was a driving force behind the organization. (Some accounts suggested the inaugural meeting was on July 13)
God of nations,
in our global world many languages and cultures are struggling to survive.
We ask that you be with those who are working for their preservation.
May we realize the richness and diversity that they contain and be aware of what we would be losing without them.
Amen
By Fr Pat O'Shea - Lower Hutt
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