1916: Ireland and the Challenge of the Cultural Revolution

As we move toward the centenary celebrations of 1916 it is important to remember the contribution made by artists and writers who, as part of the Cultural Revival, contributed to the construction of the Irish nation, writes Martin McConigley    

Many believe that the Revival was primarily a celebration of the Irish nation, long before that nation would become a political reality. Playwrights and poets, it is said, attempted to find a deeply buried Irish identity, by recovering ancient myths and legends, by anthologising stories, and producing plays in the Abbey theatre in Dublin.

There is value in this position; when one considers the work of Augusta, Lady Gregory, and a young William Butler Yeats, it is impossible not to be reminded of the stories of Fergus, Cú Chulainn, Deirdre, Oisín and Cathleen ní Houlihan (first played by Maud Gonne) that they popularised.