Item 161 - The Gael / An Gaodhal

1 p.; printed

The front cover of ‘The Gael / An Gaodhal’ (August-September 1900). Only the cover page is extant.

This periodical was founded by Michael J. Logan (1836-1899), a Galway-born journalist and publisher who emigrated to the United States in 1871 and who was later described as the ‘father of the Gaelic language revival’ in America. In October 1881 Logan established ‘An Gaodhal’ as a monthly journal ‘devoted to the preservation and cultivation of the language and anatomy of the Irish nation’. Carrying an eclectic mix of articles on Irish history and culture, the periodical also made innovative use of lessons for those wishing to learn Irish at a time before language textbooks were widely available. ‘An Gaodhal’ featured articles on Irish literature and music, and published letters, essays, and poems (using Irish typeface) which were popular both in the United States and in Ireland.

The design of the magazine’s cover was by Aloysius O’Kelly (1853-1936), a Dublin-born painter and illustrator. Probably best-known for his politically inspired work highlighting Land League activities in the 1880s, O’Kelly moved to the United States and settled in New York in 1895. Michael J. Logan died in New York in January 1899 and ‘An Gaodhal’ ceased publication in 1904.

Copies of ‘An Gaodhal’ have been digitised by Villanova University Library and the Aug.-Sept. 1900 edition of the periodical can be viewed in its entirety at https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:220091