Douglas Hyde was born on 17 January 1860, near Castlerea in County Roscommon, into an Ireland whose languages, loyalties, and social memories were deeply divided. He died on 12 July 1949, having lived long enough to see the cultural cause that had occupied his youth become central to the public identity of an independent state. He was a poet, translator, folklorist, editor, scholar, teacher, cultural organizer, and,…
“As our language wanes and dies, the golden legends of the far-off centuries fade and pass away. No one sees their influence upon culture; no one sees their educational power.”
Neighbourhood:
Folk & Ballad Poets, Irish Poets, Social Justice Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Sensuality, Irony
In the annals of Irish history, few figures embody the complex intersection of literature and revolution as completely as Thomas Stanislaus MacDonagh. Born on February 1, 1878, in the small Tipperary town of Cloughjordan, and executed by firing squad on May 3, 1916, at the age of thirty-eight, MacDonagh's brief life encompassed an extraordinary range of achievements. He was a teacher who co-founded Ireland's first te…
“The poet is the interpreter of the world to men, and the interpreter of men to the world.”
Neighbourhood:
Irish Poets, Political Poets, Social Justice Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Despair, Longing
