BHÍ ARMLÓN eile ag an gConradh: na comhairlí contae ar fud na tíre, a raibh smacht acu ar scoláireachtaí a chur ar fáil do mhic léinn ollscoile. Bhí cuid mhaith de na boird phoiblí faoi cheannas an United Ireland League, páirtí John Redmond.
Ag ardfheis an pháirtí, Feabhra 1909, glacadh le rún ag tacú le héileamh an Chonartha tar éis díospóireacht mhór ar an gceist idir John Dillon agus de Híde.
Le tacaíocht ón UIL, bhí cóir ghaoithe taobh thiar den bhfeachtas ollscoile agus shocraigh formhór na gcomhairlí gan aon airgead a chur ar fáil le haghaidh scoláireachtaí san NUI mura mbeadh an Ghaeilge riachtanach mar ábhar iontrála.
Ba é buaicphointe an fheachtais an t-ollchruinniú i mBleá Cliath ar an 19ú Meán Fómhair 1909. Tugadh slua chomh mór le chéile is go raibh ar an lucht eagraithe trí ardán a úsáid, scaipthe óna chéile, le go mbeadh deis ag a raibh i láthair éisteacht leis an óráid.
Tuairiscíodh san
Irish Times
go ndúirt de Híde an méid seo a leanas ón bpríomhardán: “The public bodies in Ireland had declared in favour of making Irish essential in the new University.
“They were there to tell the world that their pecuniary support of the new University would be dependent upon the kind of University they got…. They had in their own hands the strings of the purse that could make the University a great success, and the loosening of those strings was absolutely dependent upon whether they got a National University or a West British University. (Cheers)...”
Lean sé air agus san abairt seo léirigh sé an straitéis a bhí taobh thiar den bhfeachtas: “If they made Irish essential in the new University they would have it taught in every school in the country tomorrow.”
D’iarr Ardmhéara Bhleá Cliath ón ardán go mbeadh “fair play and toleration” dóibh siúd a bhí de mhalairt tuairime le Conradh na Gaeilge agus d’impigh sé “that, while the controversy proceeded, no hard words would again be uttered on either side”.