The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-06-19
IS INDEBTED TO AND ENRICHED BY
IRISH CONTRIBUTIONS,
SAYS PROF SAVAGE ARMSTRONG
TWO KINDS OF DRAMATIC WORK
ACCURATELY DEFINED.
WHAT CONSTITUTES IRISH LITERATURE,
INTERESTING ADDRESS TO NATION.
AL LITERARY SOCIETY.

Professor Savage Armstrong delivered
an interesting and thoughtful address
on the above subject on Monday even
ing at the National Literary Society,
says United Ireland" He said: Most
of us have heard it remarked that the
Celtic mind in these islands, as it has
revealed itself in poetry, is in it's ten
denotes rather lyrical than dramatic;
and it is true, l think, that the Celtic
races in Great Britain and Ireland have
not produced dramatic literature of
native growth in their own languages.
1t would, however, be unreasonable to
conclude from this that the intellect of
these Celtic races is by nature deficient
in the dramatic faculty; for the drama
is suited to a particular state of civiliza-
tion to which the Celtic inhabitants Of
these islands had not attained when
their mother tongue was their literary
language; and since their mother tongue
as their literary language has been sl-
perseded by English, the circumstances
of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland can
scarcely be said to have been Favorable
to the development of anything in the
nature of a national drama. We can
only therefore go as far as the simple
statement of fact that the Celtic mind
in Great Britain and Ireland has not
rsHy
session of the dramatic faculty in u
dramatic literature written in the Celtic
tongues. Meanwhile have no hesita-
tion in repeating that to conclude that
because the Celtic mind has not created
a native drama in the Celtic languages,
therefore the Celtic race is deficient in
the dramatic faculty would be an utterly
fallacious inference. After ALL to say
that any intelligent race, susceptible Of
a high degree Of civilization is incap-
able Of producing dramatic literature
would be to cast upon it very consider
able reproach.
form of prose or verse written by men
and women, no matter of what race,
who have been born and brought up
from early childhood in Ireland though
ends of the earth; who nave
been moulded and animated by the in
f1uences of an Irish environment,
who are, in fact, products of
of vii oh IT,,
art. The lecturer, after having briefly
referred to the. comedy of Lodowick
Barry, passed in review the works of
Roger Boyde, Lord Broghill, afterwards
Earl of Orrery, born in Lismore in 1921:
of Thomas Southerne, born in Dublin in
1860; of Congreve, born in 1863, who,
though an Englishman by birth, was
Irish by education; of Steele, born in
Dublin in 1872; of Farquhar, born in
Londonderry in 1878; of Mrs. Centlivre;
of Macklin, born in county Antrim or
county Westmeath, between 1880 and
1900; of Henry Brooke, born in county
Cavan in 1903; of Arthur Murphy, born
In county Roscommon in 1927; of Gold
smith, born in 1928; of Isaac BickerstaT,
born in Dublin about 1882 or 1885; of
Hugh Kelly born at Killarney or Dub
lin about 1740 of John O'Keefe, born in
Dublin in 1747; and of Sheridan, born
in Dublin in 1861. He read illustrative
passages from the writings of South
erne, Steele, Farquhar, Macklin, Brooke,
though perhaps ephemeral, kind of Irish
drama was devised and most successful
ly brought out between 80 and 40 years
ago by Dion Boucicault, and showed
what poetic elements may be found to
lie in Irish scenery and Irish character;
and Boucicault had friendly rival
though not very powerful one in poor
Falconer; neither writer, however, Civ
literary capacity. The dramas of Wills,
too, must not be overlooked. But, on
the whole, the British stage has not
been much enriched by Irish writer's
during the present century. Though,
however the stage has received but q
scanty tribute from Ireland during the
nineteenth century, Irish writer's have
not failed to contribute substantial Of
ferings to the British drama. l must be
excused for saying that l differ entirely
from that narrow criticism which re-
volts against dramatic poetry which is
not intended for the stage. Goethe's
OIL
theus Unbound" are not to be con-
demned because they are written in dra-
matte form, and are yet not suited to
the stage. The British drama has been
enriched in this century with a goodly
number OF dramatic works not suited to
the stage, both in prose and in verse,
and 1 must cite as examples the lktle
dramatic prose -pieces-1rish and others
ho oraa int