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Letter Doctor John O’Donovan to Robert McAdam, Soho Foundry Belfast, 1851, in which he states ‘The Catholic Church are Moving Heaven and Earth of Extinguish the Irish Language.

http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/Mc/McAdam_RS/life.htm

FROM DR. JOHN O’DONOVAN, ANTIQUARIAN

Letter to Robert McAdam Esq., Soho Foundry in Belfast from Newcomen Place, Dublin 8 (March, 17th, 1851)

‘Dear Sir,

I have received your note of the 14th and cannot but admire your enthusiasm about the census. I do not think that a clergy of any of our religions could be of any use to us. The Catholic Church clergy are moving heaven and earth to extinguish the Irish language and therefore it would be useless to trust them. The Protestants could not get any true returns and I therefore think we ought to test content with the police returns. Of course most of the Irish speakers will be found in the poor houses! However I…