An Chéad Eagarfhocal - The First Editorial

As an experiment, to help learners and to entice them to try reading An Gael, here is the editorial from the first modern issue of the magazine, with an interlinear translation.  Normally there is no English in the magazine. but we want to encourage people to use it as a learning resource.  It is always filled with great reading material of all kinds, all issues are always available, and nothing in it is going to go out of date!

All information about our magazine can be found here.

Seo mise (an t-eagarthóir) á léamh / here I am (the editor) reading it ar youtube (in the place where the cover picture was taken, 9 years later).
Here's where you can get a copy (either in print, or free as  pdf download): Samhradh 2009

Eagarfhocal:  Tús Nua / Editorial:  A New Beginning

Saolaíodh an iris seo sa bhliain 1881, mar iris dhátheangach, i mBrooklyn, Nua-Eabhrac, sna Stáit Aontaithe, agus foilsíodh í go rialta go 1904. This periodical was born in the year 1881, as a bilingual periodical, in Brooklyn, New York, in the US, and was published regularly until 1904. Chuaigh sí as cló, ach lean Cumann Carad na Gaeilge, ar leis í, ar aghaidh, ar éigin. It went out of print, but the Philo-Celtic Society, to whom it belonged, carried on, barely. Rinneadh iarrachtaí ar athbheochan na hirise seo cúpla uair, as Béarla agus mar nuachtlitir dhátheangach. Attempts were made to revive the periodical a few times, in English and as a bilingual newsletter. Bunaíodh cúpla irisleabhar eile leis an ainm céanna, nó a mhacasamhail, nach raibh aon bhaint acu lenár n-iris seo. A couple of other magazines were founded with the same name, or the like of it, which had no connection to this our magazine. Is é seo an chéad uair riamh go bhfuil fíor-iris An Gael ann mar iris as Gaeilge amháin. This is the first time ever that the real periodical An Gael exists as an Irish only publication. Tús nua, a sheasann le cuspóirí oifigiúla an chumainn. A new beginning, which supports the official goals of the society.

Ní hí an Ghaeilge amháin atá tábhachtach dár gcumann. It is not the Irish language only which is important to our society. Níos bunúsaí ná sin, is cumann cairde sinn, agus beidh béim san iris seo ar an gcairdeas atá eadrainn mar Ghaeilgeoirí as gach cearn den domhan. More fundamental than that, we are a society of friends, and the emphasis in this magazine will be on the friendship which we have as Irish speakers from every corner of the world.

Ach an bhfuil aon ghá leis an iris seo? But is there a need for this magazine? Nuair a bhunaigh Mícheál Ó Lócháin An Gael, ba í an chéad iris Ghaeilge riamh ar domhain í. When Michael Logan founded An Gael, it was the first Irish language periodical in the world. Sa lá atá inniu ann, tá roinnt eile ann, dar ndóigh, agus tá siad maith go leor. Nowadays, there are several others, of course, and they are plenty good. An fiú an ceann seo a athbheochan, mar sin? Is it worth reviving this one, then? Fágtar marbh í, dearfaí. Let it stay dead, people might say. Ach cé go bhfuil irisí clúiteacha eile ann, foireann spallaí do bhallaí chomh maith le clocha móra, agus tá ról againne sa damhsa domhanda seo, chun ár gceol féin a dhéanamh. But although there are other famous magazines, little stones are just as useful in making walls as are big rocks. Agus nuair a stadann an ceol, stadann an rince. And when the music stops, the dancing stops.

An bhliain sular fhoilsíodh An Gael den chéad uair, tharla eachtra an-suimiúil in Denison, Texas. The year before An Gael was published for the first time, a very interesting event occurred in Denison, TX. Ní raibh an Gorta Mór an t-aon phlá a tharla sa naoú haois déag. The Great Hunger was not the only plague that happened in the 19th century. Tamall ina dhiaidh sin, tharla tubaiste san Eoraip, a scrios formhór na bhfíonghort. A while after that, a disaster happened in Europe, which destroyed most of the vinyards. Sa bhFrainc, bhí an tionscal ba thábhachtaí dá gcuid acu i mbaol. In France, the industry which was their most important was in danger. Fuarthas gurb é míol fréamhacha darb ainm phylloxera ba chúis leis. They found that it was a root louse called phylloxera which was the cause of it. Ní raibh aon fhíniúin san Eoraip slán uathu. No grape-vine in Europe was safe from them. Mar a tharlaíonn, tá Denison Texas an-chosúil le Cognac na Fraince, agus bhí fíniúnacha acu ansin nach raibh an feithid seo ábalta a scriosadh. As it happens, Denison TX is very similar to Congac, France, and they had grape-vines that the bug wasn't able to destroy. An réiteach a fuarthas ar an tubaiste seo ná gur oibrigh na Francaigh is na Meiriceánaigh le chéile, agus in Cognac, beangaíodh fíniúnacha na Fraince le fréamhacha ó fhíniúnacha de chuid Texas. The solution they found to this disaster was that the French and the Americans worked together, and in Congac, French grape vines were grafted to the roots of American grape vines from Texas. Shábháil an tseift seo tionscal na ndeochanna alcóil ar an mórthír! This trick saved the alcoholic beverage industry on the continent! Mura mbeadh Texas ann, ní bheadh Cognac ann mar dheoch níos mó. If there were no Texas, there would be no Congac as a drink any more. Ní neart go cur le chéile – go liteartha, sa chás seo! There's no strength except (we are) put together - literally in this case!

Déantar Cognac i stil phota. Congac is made in a still pot. Déantar uisce beatha na hÉireann i stil phota (ach amháin Bushmills), freisin. Irish Whiskey is made in a still pot (except for Bushmills), too. Tá an stil phota is mó ar domhain i gCorcaigh, mar a tharlaíonn. The biggest still pot in the world is in Cork, as it happens. Rinne Arabach san ochtú haois an chéad stil phota mar seo, agus fuarthas an teicneolaíocht nua in Éirinn agus ar an mórthír ó na hArabaigh. An Arab in the 8th century made the first still pot like this, and they got the new technology in Ireland and on the continent from the Arabs. Ar dtús, ba iad na hailcheimiceoirí amháin a chur suim san alcól. At first, it was only the alchemists who had an interest in alchohol. Tugadh aqua ardens ar an uisce beatha nua seo sa dara haois déag san Eoraip – uisce ar lasadh. This new living water (whiskey) was called... in 12th century in Europe - flaming water. Cé acu, tine nó uisce é? Which is it, fire or water? Ní tine ná uisce é, ach rud eile ar fad. It's not fire or water, but something else completely. Rud iontach. A wonderful thing.

Cad é an Gael, sa lá atá inniu ann? What is the Gael nowadays? Éireannach? An Irish person? Meiriceánach? An American? Sasanach? An English person? Gaeilgeoir? An Irish speaker? Cairde na Gaeilge? Friends of the Irish language? Nó rud eile ar fad? Or something else altogether? Fágtar a mhíniú faoi na hailcheimiceoirí, b’fhéidir. Let the explanation be left to the alchemists, maybe. Ach aithníonn Gael Gael eile. But one Gael recognizes another one. Is féidir le Gael An Gael nua seo a léamh anois. A Gael can read the new An Gael now. Tá súil againn go mbainfear taitneamh as, agus go nglacfaidh gach léitheoir páirt gníomhach i gcumann idirnáisiúnta seo na nGael. We hope that people will enjoy it, and that every reader will take an active part in this international association of Gaels.

Sílim go bhfuil tús maith déanta againn - agus nach leath na hoibre sin? I think we've made a good start - and isn't that half the work? Tá scríbhneoirí den scoth bailithe le chéile san eagrán seo. We have gathered together top-notch writers in this issue. Fuaireamar ábhar ó chairde ar fud an domhain, agus is iris fíor-idirnáisiúnta í seo. We've gotten material from friends around the world, and this is truly an international publication. Ríomhann Gearóid Ó Ceallaigh as Inis Fada, Nua-Eabhrac, stair an chumainn dúinn. GÓC narrates the history of the society for us. Insíonn Panu Höglund, as an Fhionnlann, scéal uafáis. PH, from Finland, tells us a horror story. Tá scéal faoin saol bhí ann i mBaile Átha Cliatha timpeall 1952 againn, le Seán Ó Connor, a chónaíonn in Connecticut. We have a story about life in Dublin around 1952, by SÓC, who lives in CT. Tá filíocht againn le Simon Ó Faoláin as Baile Átha Cliatha, liomsa as Inis Fada, le Rút Ní Mhaolfhabhail atá ina cónaí i gContae Chill Chainnigh, le Seán Ó Coistealbha as Contae na Gaillimhe, le Proinsias Mac ‘a Bhaird (agus scéal leis), as Árainn Mhór agus ina chónaí i Leitir Ceanainn. We have poetry by SÓF from Dublin, by me from Long Island, by RNM who lives in Kilkenny, by SÓC from County Gallway, by PMB (and a story by him), from Arann More in County Letterkenny. Tá tuairiscí ó Cheanada ó Allyson Reid agus ó Nua-Eabhrac le Hilary Mhic Suimhne. We have reports from Canada by AR and from NY by HMS. Pléann Lugh DePaor as Inis Fada cúsaí ceoil ina cholún. Luke Powers from Long Island discusses musical matters in his column. Cumasc breá ó gach cearn den domhan. A fine mix from every corner of the globe.

Má bhíonn tú ar lorg cara gan locht, beidh tú gan chara go deo. If you are always looking for a friend without faults, you'll never have a friend. Déanfaimid ár seacht ndícheall chun iris bhreá a sholáthair, ach braitheann sé ar na Gaeil eile a ghlacann páirt inti. We will do our very best to provied a great magazine, but it depends on the other Gaels who take part in it. Nílimid go léir mar an gcéanna. We're not all the same. Is túisce tuairim ná duine. There are more opinions than there are people (you get opinions prior to getting people). An rud is tábhachtaí, sin go bhfuil cairde agat ar fud an domhain, más Gaeilgeoir thú. The most important thing, that is that you have friends around the world, if you speak Irish. Go mbainfimis sult as, ag casadh ar a chéile ar leathanaigh na hirise seo. May we enjoy it, meeting up with each other on the pages of this magazine.