第53章

GaGaGara。KlookKlookKlook。BlackLizisourhen。Shelayseggsforus。Whenshelayshereggsheissoglad。Gara。KlookKlookKlook。ThencomesgooduncleLeo。HeputshishandunderblackLizandtakesherfreshegg。GagagagaGara。KlookKlookKlook。

Anyhow，saysJoe。FieldandNannettiaregoingovertonighttoLondontoaskaboutitontheflooroftheHouseofCommons。

Areyousure，saysBloom，thecouncillorisgoing？Iwantedtoseehim，asithappens。

Well，he’sgoingoffbythemailboat，saysJoe，tonight。

That’stoobad，saysBloom。Iwantedparticularly。PerhapsonlyMrFieldisgoing。Icouldn’tphone。No。You’resure？

Nannan’sgoingtoo，saysJoe。TheleaguetoldhimtoaskaquestiontomorrowaboutthecommissionerofpoliceforbiddingIrishgamesinthepark。Whatdoyouthinkofthat，citizen？TheSluaghnah-Eireann。

MrCoweConacre(Multifarnham。Nat)：Arisingoutofthequestionofmyhonourablefriend，thememberforShillelagh，mayIasktherighthonourablegentlemanwhethertheGovernmenthasissuedordersthattheseanimalsshallbeslaughteredthoughnomedicalevidenceisforthcomingastotheirpathologicalcondition？

MrAllfours(Tamoshant。Con)：Honourablemembersarealreadyinpossessionoftheevidenceproducedbeforeacommitteeofthewholehouse。IfeelIcannotusefullyaddanythingtothat。Theanswertothehonourablemember’squestionisintheaffirmative。

MrOrelli(Montenotte。Nat)：HavesimilarordersbeenissuedfortheslaughterofhumananimalswhodaretoplayIrishgamesinthePhnixpark？

MrAllfours：Theanswerisinthenegative。

MrCoweConacre：Hastherighthonourablegentleman’sfamousMitchelstowntelegraminspiredthepolicyofgentlemenonthetreasurybench？(O！O！)

MrAllfours：Imusthavenoticeofthatquestion。

MrStaylewit(Buncombe。Ind。)：Don’thesitatetoshoot。

(Ironicaloppositioncheers。)

Thespeaker：Order！Order！

(Thehouserises。Cheers。)

There’stheman，saysJoe，thatmadetheGaelicsportsrevival。Thereheissittingthere。ThemanthatgotawayJamesStephens。ThechampionofallIrelandatputtingthesixteenpoundshot。Whatwasyourbestthrow，citizen？

Nabacleis，saysthecitizen，lettingontobemodest。TherewasatimeIwasasgoodasthenextfellowanyhow。

Putitthere，citizen，saysJoe。Youwereandabloodysightbetter。

Isthatreallyafact？saysAlf。

Yes，saysBloom。That’swellknown。Doyounotknowthat？

SoofftheystartedaboutIrishsportandshoneengamesthelikeofthelawntennisandabouthurleyandputtingthestoneandracyofthesoilandbuildingupanationonceagainandallofthat。AndofcourseBloomhadtohavehissaytooaboutifafellowhadarower’sheartviolentexercisewasbad。IdeclaretomyantimacassarifyoutookupastrawfromthebloodyfloorandifyousaidtoBloom：Lookat，Bloom。Doyouseethatstraw？That’sastraw。Declaretomyaunthe’dtalkaboutitforanhoursohewouldandtalksteady。

AmostinterestingdiscussiontookplaceintheancienthallofBrianO’Ciarnain’sinSraidnaBretaineBheag，undertheauspicesofSluaghnah-Eireann，ontherevivalofancientGaelicsportsandtheimportanceofphysicalculture，asunderstoodinancientGreeceandancientRomeandancientIreland，forthedevelopmentoftherace。

Thevenerablepresidentofthisnobleorderwasinthechairandtheattendancewasoflargedimensions。Afteraninstructivediscoursebythechairman，amagnificentorationeloquentlyandforciblyexpressed，amostinterestingandinstructivediscussionoftheusualhighstandardofexcellenceensuedastothedesirabilityoftherevivabilityoftheancientgamesandsportsofourancientpancelticforefathers。Thewellknownandhighlyrespectedworkerinthecauseo！ouroldtongue，MrJosephM’CarthyHynes，madeaneloquentappealfortheresuscitationoftheancientGaelicsportsa