Cultural revival in Ireland

6th Sept 2013 Class 4

Learning outcomes

To understand how and why people in Ireland at this time wanted to become more Irish through their pastimes and language. To identity the organisations founded at this time and the main fugures associated with them

As we said in the last class, at the beginning of the 1900s in Ireland, we were becoming more and more anglicised. In response to this change several attempts were made to bring back irish sports, language and customs. This became known as the cultural revival.

The Gaelic Athletic Association

The GAA was founded in 1884 by men such as Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin and Archbishop Croke. The GAA wanted to promote traditional gaelic games such as hurling, football and handball. They wanted to do this by making set rules and guidelines for the playing of the games and establishing clubs around the country.

GAA

The GAA became very popular and clubs were being established all over the country with the first all ireland club game being played in 1897 The GAA was set up as an irish catholic organisation which did not allow protestants or members of the british army to participate Became a recruitment ground for the IRB

The Gaelic revival

In an attempt to stop the rapid decline of the Irish language, Eoin Mac Neill and Douglas Hyde established the Gaelic league in 1893.

To try revive the Irish language they:

Established a newspaper called An Cliadhaemh Solais. (the sword of light) Sent Timir (travelling irish teachers) around Ireland teaching people Irish Having St. Patricks day seen as a national holiday Organised Ceilis and feis ceoil to promote irish music and dancing.

The Gaelic league was very successful and by 1905 had over 550 branches in Ireland. Like the GAA the, the Gaelic league was also used as a way to recruit members, and we can see that many of the names we see here also were to play major roles in the 1916 rising

Irish literary revival

Another movement led by WB Yeats, JM Synge and Lady Gregory focused on Irish stories and legends. They wrote stories and plays in English that celebrated the Irish people and Irish traditions

They founded the Abbey theatre in Dublin in 1903 where Irish writers could show their plays.