La Eklezio, Naciaj Lernejoj kaj la Irlandalingvo

...de Pastro Brendan Duggan, CSSR en la Irish Emigrant:

In 1831 the British Government set up the National School System in Britain and Ireland.

Each morning before class began all the children had to recite the following prayer; "I THANK THE GOODNESS AND THE GRACE THAT ON MY BIRTH HAVE SMILED AND MADE ME IN THESE CHRISTIAN DAYS A HAPPY ENGLISH CHILD."

This 'Prayer" composed by Protestant Archbishop Whately of Dublin, after passing the 1831 National Schools Act, was in every classroom in poster form and was recited by all Irish pupils in every national school.

Parish priests managed the Catholic schools, and Ministers managed the Protestant Schools. Some teachers avoided saying the prayer as often as they could but the practice persisted to the end on the 19th Century.

Of course this school system was through English, which helped to leave us " gan tir gan teanga" (without a country, without a language). The National School System helped to effectively wipe out the Irish Language. We now are regretting our loss.

The Catholic Church was one of the agents responsible...