Keep Gaelic Alive

THE letter “Gaelic Is Our Culture” by Joe Moran (September 20-26) as a response to the issue about the need to teach Gaelic in Irish schools touched me in many ways.

First, as a strong lifelong supporter of Irish culture, his commentary in response to a prior anti-Gaelic note was right on mark in my estimation.

Without teaching the language of our ancestors to current day youth, a strong line of history would be lost. The nuances, the emphasis and overall structure of verbiage would be gone.

True, most of us (myself included) do not fully speak the language but the structure of terms, the unique words and phrases thrown in (especially by my now deceased grandparents) gave a deeper meaning and flavor to the spoken English.

If no variation is allowed, the tongue we use in this nation would wither and cease in some of its dynamics. After all, though he is “fully” Irish, where would British literature be without Oscar Wilde? His wit, his tone, and his use of language certainly owes a great deal to his Irish past and the contacts he had, as a child, while growing up on that special island west of England.

Lastly, another connection, besides our valued feeling for Irish words Mr. Moran and I share, though we have never met, is that we both reside in the same small town of the Garden State. So, in closing, I firmly hope that the nation of our forefathers does a great deal to ensure that Gaelic remains alive and well within the borders of Eire. Slainte

Joseph P. Fanning
Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Sorry for Staunton

FOR once I agree with Cathal Dervan. It’s shocking the level of vitriol being hurled in Irish soccer manager Steve Staunton’s direction, given that he’s been the job for only a few months.

Let’s face it, the soccer team’s best days are well behind it, at least for now. The pool of talent is unfortunately shallow, and those who are on the team are old veterans past their prime, or youngsters who are substandard and lacking in experience.

How is this Staunton’s fault? If they can’t play they can’t play, and that’s it. He was hired to manage, not to be Houdini.

Jack O’Callaghan
Hamden, Connecticut

Thank You Paisley

THE occasion of Reverend Ian Paisley meeting Archbishop Sean Brady is certainly one of the most surprising and important events of the year. Perhaps the red, white and blue tie gave him courage!

It must have taken enormous courage, and we should be grateful that Reverend Paisley agreed to and carried out this event. May this be the beginning of many more meetings.

Thank you Archbishop Brady for being a gentleman and Reverend Paisley for your courtesy.

Jane Melville
Alpena, Michigan

British Didn’t Cause Famine

IN the September 20-26 issue, letter writer Patricia Loffredo suggested that I read a book on the Irish Famine. I believe I could write a book on the Irish Famine.

My paternal grandmother who died in 1967 at the age of 93 was a young woman in the 1890s. Her grandparents lived through the Famine.

As was common in those times, the three generations lived in the same home, leading to a fairly accurate account of history being handed down by word of mouth.

My grandmother would contend that alcoholism was so bad at that time that the work ethic was almost non-existent. She had her grievances with the English, especially over the Black and Tan era, but I never heard her blame the English for the suffering endured by the people during the Famine.

For that matter, I never heard parents, neighbors, teachers or the priest place blame for the Famine on anyone. I never read in a school book that the Famine was anything other than a great natural tragedy that befell the Irish people, usually with a reference that England did not do all it should have to help the Irish.

Of course there were isolated incidents of landlord cruelty and abuse during the Famine, but these would have gone on Famine or no Famine.

So I think Ms. Loffredo’s take on the Famine has gotten tangled up with her love of the IRA. Sadly, she seems oblivious to the reality that the Irish people turned their backs on the IRA decades ago.

Peadar O’Fiach
Bronx, New York

Be Moral About Life

WHAT is it about liberals, especially Catholic ones, that make them recoil from taking a moral stand, pro or con, on the pro-life issues?

James Burke’s letter “Irish Right About Bush” in last week’s Irish Voice is a typical example. His letter was a response to a previous letter of mine.

The whole theme of my letter was my opining that President George W. Bush is hated because he opposes the culture of death — abortion for the child in the womb to euthanasia for the old and aged.

Mr. Burke completely ignored the issue in his letter. His cold detachment on these issues reminded me of Howard Dean’s chilly comment — abortion is just a medical procedure, why talk about it?

As far as the war issue goes, no one wants war and that includes Bush. In talking about this issue Mr. Burke highlighted the fact that our late beloved Pope John Paul said the Iraq war was immoral.

He also said the same thing when Bill Clinton engaged force against Milosevic in Yugoslavia, and when Bush one used force in the first Gulf War. As a spiritual leader he must express the most objective moral ideal. His statement was personal and not ex-cathredra — authoritative finality.

In this fallen world it is just not true that war is always and absolutely avoidable. Mr. Burke’s moral hero is Senator Russ Feingold, who is a rabid promoter of the culture of death and a virulent opponent of everything Pope John Paul stood for. That says much about Mr. Burke’s concern for morals.

Deficits and war are cyclical and temporary. They will pass.

But the sad fact is that the legalization of the culture of death is a permanent condition which will now and forever rot the spiritual core of our Christian beliefs and spit in the face of the spirit of our beloved John Paul.

John Rogers
Voorhees, New Jersey

What’s In a Name?

WHY is the northwestern section of Ireland still under English rule referred to as Ulster?

Ulster is made up of nine counties — Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry, Tyrone, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan.

Since Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan belong to the Republic of Ireland isn’t Ulster a misnomer?

Jerry Hoosier
Orange, California