ian,
Cormac, and Patrick seem to have survived in general use.
Nor have our female names fared one bit better; we have discarded them
even more ruthlessly than those of our men. Surely Sadhbh (Sive) is a
prettier name than Sabina or Sibby, and Nora than Onny, Honny, or Honour
(so translated simply because Nora sounds like _onoir_, the Irish for
"honour"); surely Una is prettier than Winny, which it becomes when
West-Britonised. Meve, the great name of the Queen of Connacht who led the
famous cattle spoiling of Cuailgne, celebrated in the greatest Irish epic,
is at least as pretty as Maud, which it becomes when Anglicised, and
Eibhlin (Eileen) is prettier than Ellen or Elinor. Aoife (Eefy), Sighle
(Sheela), Moirin (Moreen), Nuala and Fionnuala (Finnoola), are all
beautiful names which were in use until quite recently. Maurya and Anya
are still common, but are not indigenous Irish names at all, so that I do
not mind their rejection, whilst three other very common ones, Suraha,
Shinead, and Shuwaun, sound so bad in English that I do not very much
regret their being translated into Sarah, Jane, and Joan respectively; but
I must put in a plea for the retention of such beautiful words as Eefee,
Oona, Eileen, Meve, Sive, and Nuala. Of all the beautiful Christian names
of women which were in use a century or two ago Brighid (Breed), under the
ugly form of Bridget, or still worse, of Biddy, and Eiblin under the form
of Eveleen, and perhaps Norah, seem to be the only survivals, and they are
becoming rarer. I _do_ think that the time has now come to make a vigorous
protest against this continued West-Britonising of ourselves, and that our
people ought to have a word in season addressed to them by their leaders
which will stop them from translating their Milesian surnames into hideous
Saxon, and help to introduce Irish instead of English Christian names. As
long as the Irish nation goes on as it is doing I cannot have much hope of
its ultimately taking its place amongst the nations of the earth, for if
it does, it will have proceeded upon different lines from every other
nationality that God ever created. I hope that we shall never be
satisfied either as individuals or as a society as long as the Brehonys
call themselves Judges, the Clan Govern call themselves Smiths, and the
O'Reardons Salmons, as long as our boys are called Dan and Jeremiah
instead of Donal and Diarmuid, and our girls Honny, Winny, and Ellen
instead of Nora, Una,
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