The Irish standard., 1905-11-25

and is called the oireachtas, and corre-
spends to the Welsh eisteddfod. The
social side is encouraged in entertain
ment, ir which old Irish music, songs,
dances and costumes are the feature
An Irish literary theater, in which the
brilliant playwright, w. B. Yeats, con-
tributed his genius, was projected as
performance in 1899. At this perform
ance, DR.. Hyde appeared in a play Of
his own composition, "The Twisting O.;
the Rope" thus adding the work Of
playwright and actor to the list of his
other activities for the movement.
There have been many leagues in Ire
land. There have been the Land
League, the National League, the Unit
ed Irish League, and before the Gaelic
League tentative efforts toward the
same end had been made-in 1853 by
the Ossianic Society and in 1875 by
the Society for the Preservation OF the
Irish Language. The men organizing
these latter two had noted the decline
of the old tongue and had sough. to
preserve the Gaelic as the national Ian
guage, but comparatively little came of
their meetings and intermittent labors.
although the second named society did
issue primers for the benefit of those
who desired to study the language, pub
lished translations Of some of the old
Gaelic romances, and finally induced
the commissioners of national educa-
ton, as well as the commissioners of
intermediate examinations, to place
Irish as branch of study on the same
footing with French and German. But
the members of the society lacked a
guiding spirit to inspire them. This
spirit the Gaelic League possesses liz
the brilliant genius Of Douglas Hyde.
The difference between DR.. Hyde and
those who preceded him is that, while
they were much concerned with the past
and little with the present-too much
interested in Ireland's archaeology and
ancient manuscripts-his chief desire
is to preserve the vernacular as iiv-
ing language and to apply it to pur-
poses of Irish national life. His en-
thusiasm and hard work have made
the league the most significant out
growth of Irish nationalism despite the
fact that it does not enter into the
arena of active politics. The industrial
movement in Ireland, the revival of itc
industries and manufactures, the at
tempt to check emigration by furnish
ing employment to young men ana
women, which has been much COM
mented upon in magazine articles, is
bound up with the Gaelic League. The
appeal to the national spirit has re-
suited in a desire to be Irish not only
in speech but in clothes. This has en-
couraged some industries, and it has
become a matter Of pride and patrl-
otism with the Gaelic Leaguers to use
the products of their own looms and
mills and handiwork rather than i'm
ported articles. In confirmation of the
theory that the revival of the native
language encourages home industry the
leaguers point to Belgium and Hun
gary.
For one who has accomplished SO
much, DR.. Hyde is a young man, be-
ing still in the forties. He has been
fortunate in realizing in his life work
what seemed to others a students
dream. His industry is shown in his
published works, which number nearly
fifty and the offices he has filled besides
that of president Of the league. He
has been interim professor of modern
languages in New Brunswick, presi-
dent of the Irish Text Society, exam
liner in Celtic to the Royal University
of Ireland, and assistant editor Of the
New Irish Library. The year in which
he published his first book he was elect
ed member of the Royal Irish Acad-
emy.
Seamus McManus, Mrs. McManus
until her death, Lady Gregory, who has
brought out translation of DR.. Hyde's
plays and was an active promoter OF
the Irish literary theater, George Moore
w, B. Yeats and Bernard Shaw, the
playwright, are among those associated
with Dr. Hyde in the Gaelic movement
In his American tour he is accompanied
by his wife.
Poet, playwright, critic, actor, orator
journalist, historian, linguist, translator
gist folk-lorist, DR.. Hyde is a man Of
many and varied gifts-his versatility
is surpassed only by his patriotism, fol
first of all he is patriot. His talents
have been exerted only on behalf Of the
cause with which he has identified him.
self. Brilliant as are his literary pro.
ductions-and in the new Irish literary
school he ranks second only to w. B
Yeats-they are regarded by him al
only a means to the desired end-thar
of intensifying the national spirit O.
the Irish people, strengthening theil
love for their native land through {
knowledge Of it's romantic and harol,