{"id":61,"date":"2014-04-30T10:02:49","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T09:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2014-07-27T16:12:35","modified_gmt":"2014-07-27T15:12:35","slug":"dr-lynchs-cultural-awakening","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/dr-lynchs-cultural-awakening\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr Lynch & The Cultural Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"

After returning home to Coolea, Ballyvourney from America, the principle change\u00a0D\u00f3mhnall noted in the area was the new Church that had been built in Coolea. Following his graduation from Queen’s College Cork and his appointment\u00a0to his new post,\u00a0he was now in the pay of the Queen, however he did not have much time for the same Queen and her dealings with Coolea and Ballyvourney.<\/h4>\n

He appreciated the richness of language that was around him, but he understood the danger which was\u00a0present in\u00a0that a lot of the language and culture\u00a0would go with the older generation when they passed on. It was clear to him that if the story continued as it was, the Gaelic Tradition would be broken in his own area during his own lifetime.<\/h4>\n

The national (English-speaking) schools were doing their work effectively however the music and the old style signing were under pressure at that time. An Docht\u00fair \u00d3 Loingsigh understood how the native language had declined throughout Ireland and there in Ballyvourney, which was one of the remaining outposts, it was being attacked before his own eyes. He believed that action had to be taken.<\/h4>\n

Following his travels to other countries, especially America, Canada\u00a0and Brittany (France),\u00a0an Docht\u00fair \u00d3 Loingsigh had obtained\u00a0a good knowledge of languages, and strong efforts were being made in these countries to protect their own language, however in his own country he could see\u00a0there was a reluctance on the part of the people to protect their own language. Arising from this national situation, Conradh na Gaeilge was founded and it was\u00a0the battle cry of the Conradh that gave the doctor an active part in the battle.<\/h4>\n

It was in his own area and\u00a0amongst his own people that an Docht\u00fair \u00d3 Loingsigh did marvellous work, as\u00a0he was satisfied to work away quietly at home. It goes without saying that he was fluent in Irish and steeped in the Irish Tradition even though he spent a lot of years abroad in France, Rome and in America.<\/h4>\n

D\u00f3nal\u00a0\u00d3 h\u00c9alaithe believes\u00a0there was one single thing in his personality which helped him greatly in his work at home,\u00a0he was thought of as being\u00a0a hero and a leader in the Coolea and Ballyvourney areas.\u00a0During this time\u00a0there were daily stories of the brave, heroic deeds of\u00a0an Docht\u00fair \u00d3 Loingsigh being told locally, especially\u00a0about the part of his life he spent abroad in the armies of France and Rome.<\/h4>\n

D\u00f3mhnall\u00a0proved on his return home to Ballyvourney that he had the desire and inclination to work beyond the norm in everything he did.\u00a0An Docht\u00fair D\u00f3mhnall \u00d3 Loingsigh was the defensive shield of that\u00a0Gaeltacht area\u00a0as long as he lived. For 30 years he spent all his energies working with and striving to improve\u00a0his native parish. His name only had to be mentioned to the old members of Conradh na Gaeilge, amongst whom\u00a0he was admired and respected, and they knew of the outstanding work he did for the Irish language. He was a hero amongst heroes like Douglas Hyde, an tAthair Peadar \u00d3 Laoire, an tAthair P\u00e1draig \u00d3 Duinn\u00edn, an Dr Mac \u00c9nr\u00ed, P\u00e1draig \u00d3 M\u00e1ille, Cathal Brugha and Dr Sheehan.<\/h4>\n

In 1900 an Docht\u00fair D\u00f3mhnall \u00d3 Loingsigh was chosen to represent the Irish at the first Celtic Convention in Paris. With him were Padraig Pearse, Douglas Hyde, Eoin McNeill and Dr Hickey from Maynooth University. At all these meetings there was clarity and understanding in his talks, his advice, and his viewpoints on cultural and language affairs.<\/h4>\n

Below is a picture showing the attendees at the Representative Congress in Paris in 1900. An Docht\u00fair D\u00f3mhnall \u00d3 Loingsigh is in the middle of the second row from the top (sixth from either side) wearing a cap.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/a><\/p>\n

In his own way the Ballyvourney man was up there amongst the best of them. He was a member of the Central Committee of Conradh an Gaeilge\u00a0and his aim was not to be absent from any of the big meetings of the Conradh.<\/h4>\n

In 1904, an article in the Donegal News, reporting on a meeting of the Executive Committee of Conradh na Gaeilge, mentions that\u00a0an Docht\u00fair \u00d3 Loingsigh (or Dr lynch as he is referred to in the article)\u00a0posed questions about the expenditure\u00a0on various items arising out of the reading of minutes of the Finance Committee –<\/h4>\n

Donegal News 17 Sept 1904 Irish Ireland Conradh na Gaeilge Finance questions Dr Lynch<\/a><\/h4>\n

In 1907 he was elected Treasurer of the first Language and Cultural Festival in Ireland and these festivals are widespread through the country since.<\/h4>\n

When an Docht\u00fair D\u00f3mhnall \u00d3 Loingsigh started working with Conradh na Gaeilge\u00a0in Ballyvourney and Coolea, the first thing he did was to gather the scholars and those who could write Irish from the parish and surrounding area. He founded working groups here and there and he inspected and helped them.<\/h4>\n

He also founded branches of Conradh throughout Muskerry and he put local people in each area working as well. He also put the writers previously referred to, in contact with the old people to write down the folklore and the stories of their area. The writers themselves were learning and the old people were recalling stories that they had almost forgotten. Then the older people started meeting because of the great admiration there was for the old stories and the folklore they had from their ancestors.<\/h4>\n

This was a big change in times for these people,\u00a0because as long as they could remember, there was only disrespect for the Irish language\u00a0and the Irish speakers. Everybody was uplifted as a result of this work. This extraordinary doctor was a man of great learning and knowledge, but having said that he was \u201cgr\u00e1mhar\u201d (humble) and kind. He had a name for kindness and almsgiving. He never looked for payment from the poor people of the parish.<\/h4>\n

According to D\u00f3nal\u00a0\u00d3 h\u00c9alaithe,\u00a0an Docht\u00fair D\u00f3mhnall \u00d3 Loingsigh was never one to run after the gentry, and\u00a0his inspiring personality and desire to work was totally focused on the Irish Culture and the people of Ballyvourney meaning that\u00a0his devoted service could be seen from one end of the year to the next.<\/h4>\n

Another trait of his personality that is not mentioned too often was his fun and turn of phrase, which can be seen in the following tale as described by D\u00f3nal\u00a0\u00d3 h\u00c9alaithe<\/em><\/strong> –<\/h4>\n

The four masters lived in Ballyvourney at the start of the last century. They were Con Desmond, Michael Lynch, Tadgh O\u2019Riordan and Michael O\u2019Brien, and during one discussion they had about the language, one of them asked Dr Lynch what was the difference between a Gael, a\u00a0True Gael and an Extraordinary Gael.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dr Lynch answered \u2013 a Gael is narrow minded, puritanical, dour, cantankerous and unreasonable \u2013 but it is usual for the True Gael to be friendly, talkative, earnest, civil, crafty, adventurous, devoted, faithful, patriotic, active and musical.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adapted from \u00c9ighse 2008 speech given by D\u00f3nal\u00a0\u00d3 h\u00c9alaithe – Stara\u00ed \u00e1iti\u00fal de chuid Acadamh F\u00f3dhla \u00f3 Ch\u00fail Aodha, translated into B\u00e9arla by James O’Leary, Col\u00e1iste an tEasbog Mac Aogh\u00e1in, M\u00e1igh Chromtha.<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After returning home to Coolea, Ballyvourney from America, the principle change\u00a0D\u00f3mhnall noted in the area was the new Church that had been built in Coolea. Following his graduation from Queen’s College Cork and his appointment\u00a0to his new post,\u00a0he was now in the pay of the Queen, however he did not have much time for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374,"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions\/374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/drlynchballyvourney.ie\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}