The Philo-Celtic Society (

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: Cumann Carad na Gaeilge) is a North American society founded as part of the

Gaelic revival The Gaelic revival ( ga, Athbheochan na Gaeilge) was the late-nineteenth-century Romantic nationalism, national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including Irish folklore, folklore, Iri ...

in 1873. Its aims are the promotion of the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

as a living tongue in America and throughout the world, and the re-establishment of Irish as the spoken language of

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with

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as a supplement.

History

The society was one of several that had their genesis in letters published in the Irish-American journal ''The Irish World'' in 1872 by Mícheál Ó Lócháin, recommending that Irish language classes and Irish language organizations be established. Ó Lócháin, a teacher by profession, started the first such class (instruction for adults) in

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in 1872.Ó Buachalla, p. 38 Formal societies followed: the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Philo-Celtic Society in 1873 and the Brooklyn Philo-Celtic Society in 1874. The

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Philo-Celtic Society was founded in 1878, eventually giving rise to the present society. Father Dennis J. O'Donovan was an honorary member of the Boston society. In 1881 Ó Lócháin founded ''An Gaodhal'', the Society's bilingual monthly magazine. He died in 1899. In the period 1878 - 1899 other Philo-Celtic Societies were founded, though their activities had little to do with the language. After 1904 most declined and vanished, a fact attributed to a general view among the Irish that the language was irrelevant to their economic and social advancement in America. The Brooklyn and Manhattan societies had merged into the New York Philo-Celtic Society by 1945. By the 1970s promotion of the language was practically dormant. An attempt was made in 1993 to re-organize the Society so as to place more emphasis on Irish. This attempt failed, but in 2004 language activists succeeded in returning to what they regarded as the original aims of the Society.Cumann Carad na Gaeilge/The Philo-Celtic Society: History: http://www.philo-celtic.com/history.html

Activities

The Society's members offer support to other Irish language groups and to students throughout the world, supply CDs and books, and provide teaching materials and classes.

''An Gael''

An Gael ''An Gael'' is a quarterly literary magazine in the Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European l ...

'' (presently edited by Séamas Ó Neachtain) is a quarterly literary magazine in Irish which is published on behalf of the Philo-Celtic Society. It was established in 2009. Its lineage is traced back to ''An Gaodhal'', which was published as a bilingual journal from 1881 to 1904. ''An Gael'' is an international magazine, in keeping with the aims of the Society.

Notes

References

Ó Buachalla, Breandán, ’''An Gaodhal'' i Meiriceá’ in ''Go Meiriceá Siar'', Stíofán Ó hAnnracháin (ed.). An Clóchomhar Teo. 1979 Ó Dochartaigh, Liam, ‘Nótaí ar ghluaiseacht na Gaeilge i Meiriceá, 1872 – 1891’ in ''Go Meiriceá Siar'', Stíofán Ó hAnnracháin (ed.). An Clóchomhar Teo. 1979 Uí Fhlannagáin, Fionnuala. ''Mícheál Ó Lócháin agus “An Gaodhal”''. An Clóchomhar Teo. 1990

External links

Website of the Philo-Celtic Society

Website of ''An Gael'', international literary magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philo-Celtic Society Irish-American culture Irish-American organizations Culture of Ireland Irish language organisations Irish language outside Ireland Non-profit organizations based in the United States