Writing Beyond the Revival: Facing the Future in Gaelic Prose, 1940-1951

This is the second volume of a two-part collection following on from O'Leary's Gaelic Prose in the Irish Free State 1922-1939. The first part, Irish Interior: Keeping Faith with the Past in Gaelic Prose, 1940-1951, was published in 2010. Writing Beyond the Revival explores the evolving ideology that inspired the successful campaign of writers such as Ciaran and Brian O Nuallain, and Cathal O Sandair for artistic independence from the restrictive demands of the language revival. The real progress made by writers such as Seamus O Neill with Tonn Tuile (1947) and Tarlach O hUid in his story collection Taobh Thall den Teorainn (1950) are also examined. The book includes a detailed discussion of Gaelic theatre when, under the direction of Ernest Blythe, the Abbey made the development and performance of Irish-language scripts a central element in its national mission. In revealing the vast output of writing in Irish for non-Irish readers, Philip O'Leary provides an invaluable guide for anyone studying or interested in the literature, languages, society and politics of Ireland. See more