Reviving the Fighting Irish:
The real significance of the words "Fighting Irish" at Notre Dame
Vol II: Part I: Origins
May 10, 2010
Any full account of the meaning behind the words “Fighting
Irish” at Notre Dame must begin with the original founders of the
university. Though they may not
have consciously attributed their mindset to any sense of “Irishness” at first,
they displayed the kind of character that would eventually come to be known as
the “Fighting Irish” spirit.
Historian Robert E. Burns describes the small band of religious who
founded the university in his book Being Catholic, Being American: The Notre Dame Story, saying, “The roots of Notre Dame were French, but
half of the party arriving first at the site of the future University of Notre
Dame had been born in Ireland.”
28-year-old French-born Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., the
fearless adventurer who led this small group of Catholics into the wilderness,
was described by many as a man driven by missionary zeal. He was determined to establish a
thriving Catholic university, and his fervor had an electrifying effect on his
followers as he inspired them to stay the course despite the hardships they
faced.
Common legend at Notre Dame tells of Fr. Sorin’s return to
campus after a fire had destroyed the Main Building, when standing over the ashes
of the school he had poured his life into he said, “If it were all gone, I should not give up.” This short statement
illustrated his sense of resolve as a man who came to a foreign land, settled
in a brutally unforgiving environment, and eventually succeeded through sheer
determination despite beginning with almost nothing. Though he was French, his story was very “Irish.”
Fr. Sorin did eventually come to identify with the Sons of
Erin as well. He sympathized with those who he saw struggling under intolerable
oppression in Ireland, and thus made his support for the cause of Irish
Nationalism known to the public in 1885 when he published his views on the
subject in the Chicago Citizen. Despite his public admiration, however,
he also displayed some prejudices against the Irish that were commonly held at
the time. He had been known to
claim that those of Irish decent at Notre Dame tended to exhibit “a penchant
for complaint, and a disposition to blame others for their own failings along
with an excessive affection for hard liquor.” (seems about right, even today…) Even
so, his identification with the ideals of Irish Nationalism and the relationships
he developed with the many Irish priests and students at Notre Dame allowed him
to overcome his prejudices. As a
friend of the Irish, he generated an atmosphere throughout the university
community that was emotionally tied to the very real connections they shared
with Ireland. Already infused with
the “Fighting Irish” spirit by its founders, Notre Dame thus began to acquire a
sense of “Irishness” as well.
(Vol II: Part II: to come on Monday, June 25)
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