Irish Literary Roll of Honor.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 23, 5 June 1902, Page 5

Irish Literary Roll of Honor.

It is true that Ireland has not produced a Dante, a Shakespeare, or a Cervantes, yet, during the past century (sayß the Gael), she has given a magnificent account of herself in the domain of dramatic, lyric, and ballad poetry. Even the great novelists of modern Ireland, though few in number, have given immortal contributions to the world's literature. The eloquence of Ireland is almost unique, and her orators will compare favorably with the best that Greece and Rome have given to history. We recall with singular pride the intellectual supremacy of Swift, the marvellous genius of Burke, the genial philosophy of Goldsmith, the golden pages of Steele, the celebrated fiction of Sterne, the iron logic of Molyneux, the journalistic abilities of Lucap, the glorious idealism of Berkeley, the superb poesy of Parnell, the sparkling wit of Sheridan, the immortal rhetoric of Grattan, the forensic greatness of Curran, the Demosthenic force of Plunket, the comprehensive talents of Flood, the dramatic powers of Macklin, the constitutional erudition of Saurin, the imperishable letters of ' Junius,' the Spartan patriotism of Wolfe Tone, the famouß speech of Emmet, the rhetorical splendor of Bushe, the sublime simplicity of Burrowes, the historical acumen of Barrington, the chaste witticisms of Lysaght, the lyric grandeur of Moore, the cultured scholarship of Petrie, the vast learning of O'Cnrry, the Gaelic lore of O'Donovan, the attic compositions of Maginn, the martial ballads of Drennan, the learned translations of O'Connor, the splendid biographies of Madden, the mighty eloquence of O'Connel, the oratorical brilliancy of Shiel, the valuable researches of Wilde, the peerless writings of Tyndall, the patriotic songs of Ingram, the matchless essays of Giles, the powerful reasoning of Doyle, the literary curiosities of Roche, the linguistic acquirements of Mangan, the brilliant diction of Phillips, the rollicking fun of Lover, the quaint humor of Carleton,the picturesque descriptions of Lever, the idiomatic style of Baniro, the expressive dialect of Lefanu, the fervid lays of De Vtre, the descriptive faculties of Edgeworth, the majestic tragedies of Knowles, the racy comedies of Boucicault, the poetic imagery of Joyce, the classio verse of McCarthy, the thrilling pathos of Griffin, the rare culture of McGee, the stirring poems of Barry, the sprightly rhythms of Graves, the scholarly attainments of Duffy, the varied endowments of O'Reilly, the fascinating tales of Kickham, the ballad poetry of Ferguson, the exquisite melodies of Prout, the delightful lyrics of ' Speranza,' the national odes of Walsh, the beautiful harmony of Callinan, the flowery language of Sullivan, the charming persuasiveness of Butt, the inspiring oratory of Meagher, the burning invective of Mitchell, the humorous versification of Williams, and laßt, but not least, the Celtic versatility of Davis.