15 



which I have seen, chiefly treat of the Orthgraphy and Prosody of 

 our language, and that in the most masterly and copious manner, 

 but treat very slightly of Etymology, and not at all of Syntax. 

 Did these venerable documents belong to any other country, or re. 

 late to any other language of Europe, they would have long since 

 been laid before the world. It only remains here to express a hope, 

 that as the unfortunate and short-sighted prejudice, which extended 

 even to our language, is at length giving way to more liberal sen- 

 timents, the ingenious student may soon be enabled to trace the 

 progress of his native tongue in those original treatises through the 

 medium of the press, to which he is indebted for all these, which 

 we now proceed to notice. 



O'MOLLOY's IRISH GRAMMAR.— Rome, 1677. 



The first printed Irish grammar, with which I am acquainted, is 

 that of the Rev. Francis O'MoUoy, compiled in> Latin, and entitled 

 " Grammatica Latino-Hibernica nunc compendiata. — Authore Rev. 

 P. Fr. Francisco O'MoUoy, 12mo. Ex l^ypog. S. Congreg. de 

 Propaganda Fide, Romse, 1677, pp. 286."* — It contains 25 chap- 

 ters. The first nine treat of the letters, tiieir nature, enunciation, 

 affinities and various relations. The 10th, 11th and l2th of Ety- 

 n)ology, which he handles very slightly, and from the descrip- 

 tion given by him of the irregular verbs it would be almost suffi- 

 cient to deter any one from learning the langnage, wliereas they 

 are not near so numerous or so difficult as in other languages. — The 

 13th chapter treats of the ancient Ogham and abbreviations ; and 



• The first book printed in Irish types was John Kearney's " Alphabeticum et ratio legendl 

 Hibemicam et Catechismus in eadem hngua, 1571. 8vo." — Containing short instructions for 

 reading the language. 



