ll ballads and Scotch songs have gained an enormous place
in the repertoire of the wandering minstrel, and the minstrels themselves
are becoming fewer and fewer, and I fear worse and worse. It is difficult
to find a remedy for this. I am afraid in this practical age to go so far
as to advocate the establishment in Cork or Galway of a small institution
in which young and promising pipers might be trained to play all the
Irish airs and sent forth to delight our population; for I shall be told
that this is not a matter for even an Irish Government to stir in, though
it is certain that many a Government has lavished money on schemes less
pleasant and less useful. For the present, then, I must be content with
hoping that the revival of our Irish music may go hand in hand with the
revival of Irish ideas and Celtic modes of thought which our Society is
seeking to bring about, and that people may be brought to love the purity
of _Siubhail Siubhail_, or the fun of the _Moddereen Ruadh_ in preference
to "Get Your Hair Cut," or "Over the Garden Wall," or, even if it is not
asking too much, of "Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay."

Our games, too, were in a most grievous condition until the brave and
patriotic men who started the Gaelic Athletic Association took in hand
their revival. I confess that the instantaneous and extraordinary success
which attended their efforts when working upon national lines has filled
me with more hope for the future of Ireland than everything else put
together. I consider the work of the association in reviving our ancient
national game of +caman+, or hurling, and Gaelic football, has done more
for Ireland than all the speeches of politicians for the last five years.
And it is not alone that that splendid association revived for a time with
vigour our national sports, but it revived also our national
recollections, and the names of the various clubs through the country have
perpetuated the memory of the great and good men and martyrs of Ireland.
The physique of our youth has been improved in many of our counties; they
have been taught self-restraint, and how to obey their captains; they have
been, in many places, weaned from standing idle in their own roads or
street corners; and not least, they have been introduced to the use of a
thoroughly good and Irish garb. Wherever the warm striped green jersey of
the Gaelic Athletic Association was seen, there Irish manhood and Irish
memories were rapidly reviving. There torn