GAELIC LEAGUE HAS BIG TIME

The Butte Miner, Butte, 1908-01-20, p.5

Summary

Sub-head: "CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ITS ORGANIZATION HERE / Hall at St. Mary's School Crowded With Interested Audience — Addresses Delivered and Delightful Program Is Rendered." Sunday Jan 19 1908 first-anniversary event of the Butte Gaelic League at St. Mary's school hall. **Confirms the Butte Gaelic League was organised in January 1907** ("one year ago yesterday"). Now has more than 300 members in Butte, all deeply interested in its work; league has two class nights a week. President James P. Moriarty's address in Gaelic complimented members and thanked Butte newspapers and Rev. Father English for permitting the league to meet at St. Mary's school free of charge. Address by Rev. Father Hannan — spoke for 35 minutes detailing the history of the Gaelic League since its organization in Dublin **14 years ago** (i.e. founded 1893 by Douglas Hyde / Eoin MacNeill, consistent with the historical record). **Other participants in the program:** - "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls" sung in Gaelic by the juvenile class - "Believe Me of All Those Endearing Young Charms," encore song "Killarney" — Miss Kate Kelly - Hornpipe — **Thomas Murphy** and Mrs. J. P. Sullivan - Gaelic song — Peter Moynihan - Four-hand reel — Misses Mary Hampstone, Maggie McCarthy, **Kate Murphy** and Con Creede - Gaelic song — John Sullivan - Song "Aileen Aliana" — Miss Kate Kelly - "Slanta Na Gael" sung in Gaelic — Kathleen Cronin - Song "The Irish Brigade" — Father Hannan - Gaelic song — Murty Sullivan - Reel and jig — Miss Nora Sullivan and Mrs. J. F. Sullivan - "Sinn Fein Lin Fein" sung in Gaelic — Mrs. J. H. McCarthy - "The Minstrel Boy" sung in Gaelic — juvenile class - Song "The Shamrock of Ireland" — Mrs. Rose Sealy - Gaelic song — Matt Hannifan - "A Handful of Earth From the Land of My Birth" — Miss Anna Sullivan - "The West Asleep" sung — Miss Maggie Harrington - Selection of Irish airs on violin — Miss Mamie Leyden - Recitation "Meagher of the Sword" — John Kelly - "The Last Rose of Summer" — Mrs. Rose Sealy - "God Save Ireland" sung in Gaelic — audience ARCHIVE SIGNIFICANCE. (a) **Locks the Butte Gaelic League founding to mid-January 1907**. Combined with the 1907-11-04 founding-article retrospective (9 months in), this gives a precise founding window of January 1907. (b) **Thomas Murphy and Kate Murphy** participate in the dance program — two additional Butte Murphys in the Irish-cultural orbit, both bare-name. Distinct from JJM cluster. (c) **Father English** named as the priest who hosted the Butte Gaelic League at St. Mary's school free of charge — = the Rev. Father M. J. English who recurs in the 1920 Home Rule cluster and St. Patrick's events. Useful patronage detail. (d) **Father Hannan's 35-minute address** on the 1893 Dublin Gaelic League founding is itself a 1908 Butte Irish-American intellectual moment — the Butte branch sees itself as 14 years downstream of the Dublin original.

Also mentioned

James P. Moriarty · gaelic_league_president
Father Hannan · featured_speaker_history_of_gaelic_league
Father English · st_marys_school_hosted_league_free
Thomas Murphy · hornpipe
Bare-name Butte Murphy in the Irish-cultural scene; another distinct individual.
Kate Murphy · four_hand_reel_dancer
= same Miss Katie Murphy in the 1907-11-04 founding-article four-hand reel. Recurring Butte female Murphy participant in Irish-language dances.
Miss Kate Kelly · song
Mrs. J. P. Sullivan · hornpipe
Peter Moynihan · gaelic_song
Mary Hampstone · four_hand_reel_dancer
Maggie McCarthy · four_hand_reel_dancer
Con Creede · four_hand_reel_dancer
John Sullivan · gaelic_song
Kathleen Cronin · slanta_na_gael_song
Murty Sullivan · gaelic_song
Miss Nora Sullivan · reel_and_jig
Mrs. J. F. Sullivan · reel_and_jig
Mrs. J. H. McCarthy · sinn_fein_lin_fein_song
Mrs. Rose Sealy · shamrock_of_ireland_and_last_rose_of_summer_songs
Matt Hannifan · gaelic_song
Miss Anna Sullivan · handful_of_earth_song
= the Miss Anna Sullivan / Annie Sullivan who is Gaelic League first vice president by Jan 1912 and Centerville Young Men's Club 'mother' founder Oct 1908.
Miss Maggie Harrington · west_asleep_song
Miss Mamie Leyden · violin_irish_airs
= Mabel Leyden / Lydon of the 1910-1911 clippings. Spelling drift Mamie/Mabel — same person.
John Kelly · meagher_of_the_sword_recitation
Recurring Butte John Kelly. Cannot tell from this clipping alone which John Kelly. The 1914 d. John Kelly was 65 then — would have been 59 in 1908, plausibly same. Or a different John Kelly. Held in mentioned only.

Places

Butte, Montana (primary)

Themes

Story threads

Source type

news_item, public_meeting_report

Related sources

Transcription

transcription: complete · confidence high

# GAELIC LEAGUE HAS BIG TIME ## CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ITS ORGANIZATION HERE. ### Hall at St. Mary's School Crowded With Interested Audience — Addresses Delivered and Delightful Program Is Rendered. *The Butte Miner, Monday, January 20, 1908, p. 5. (Page header "THE BUTTE MINE[R]".)* An audience that taxed the capacity of St. Mary's school hall, assembled there yesterday afternoon to attend the exercises of the Gaelic league's first anniversary here. One year ago yesterday, the local branch of the league was organized in Engineer's hall and its charter members went to work with a will to build up the organization. That they succeeded admirably is attested by the fact that the league to-day has more than 300 members in Butte, all of whom are deeply interested in its work. The league has two class nights a week, and the attendance always is large. Splendid progress has been made by the members in learning to read and write Gaelic. Members who a year ago had no knowledge of Gaelic today are well versed in it. Men, women and children belong and all are doing well. The league is nonsectarian and nonpolitical, its purpose being to revive the Gaelic language and give all its members opportunity to become versed in the interesting and important history of Ireland. The leagues in all parts of America and Ireland are making concerted efforts to bring about improvements in the conditions existing in the Emerald Isle, to stimulate Ireland's industries and in every way to work for the advancement of Erin. ## Splendid Program. The program yesterday afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed, nearly every number being encored. It began with an address in Gaelic by President James P. Moriarty, who has done remarkably efficient work in promoting the success of the league. President Moriarty complimented the members on their work, expressed the thanks of the league for the treatment accorded it by the newspapers of the city, and the unbounded appreciation of the members for Rev. Father English's generosity in permitting the league to meet in St. Mary's school and furnishing the necessary fuel and light free of charge. An address by Rev. Father Hannan was one of the most important features of the occasion. Father Hannan spoke for thirty-five minutes, detailing the history of the Gaelic league since its organization in Dublin fourteen years ago. The speaker interestingly traced the growth of the league and told of what it has and hopes to accomplish. ## Other Participants. The remainder of the program was as follows: "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls," sung in Gaelic by the juvenile class; song, "Believe Me of All Those Endearing Young Charms," "Killarney" hornpipe, Thomas Murphy and Mrs. J. P. Sullivan; Gaelic song, Peter Moynihan; four-hand heel, by Misses Mary Hampstone, Maggie McCarthy, Kate Murphy and Con Creede; Gaelic song, John Sullivan; song, "Aileen Aliana," Miss Kate Kelly; "Slanta Na Gael," sung in Gaelic by Kathleen Cronin; song, "The Irish Brigade," by Father Hannan; Gaelic song, Murty Sullivan; reel and jig, Miss Nora Sullivan and Mrs. J. F. Sullivan; "Sin Fein Lin Fein," sung in Gaelic by Mrs. J. H. McCarthy; "The Minstrel Boy," sung in Gaelic by the juvenile class; song, "The Shamrock of Ireland," by Mrs. Rose Sealy; Gaelic song, Matt Hannifan; "A Handful of Earth From the Land of My Birth," Miss Anna Sullivan; "The West Asleep," sung by Miss Maggie Harrington; selection of Irish airs played on the violin by Miss Mamie Leyden; recitation, "Meagher of the Sword," John Kelly; "The Last Rose of Summer," Mrs. Rose Sealy; "God Save Ireland," sung in Gaelic by audience.