The Irish standard., 1911-12-23
THE GAELIC LEAGUE
AND IRISH PLAYERS
Official Statement Says League has
no Connection With the
Abbey Theatre
Douglas Hyde Explains to Correct
False Impression Created in
This Country.
Plays Would Have Attracted no At
tention Were it not for Their
Libelous Character.

The so-called Irish Players who
have constituted themselves the rep
resentatiVes of the Irish drama in
America would in all probability have
come to this country and gone away
again without attracting much notice
were it not for the fact that the plays
which they are presenting are such a
libel OH Irish life and character 1t
is, however, becoming amply evident
to the American public that Lady
Gregory and Mr.. Yeats are not here
as representatives of the Irish people.
On December 3 Father O'Flanagan re-
ceived the following telegram:
The Gaelic League has no connec-
tion whatsoever with Abbey Theater
productions.
Douglas Hyde, President.
Patrick O'Daly, Secretary.
In explanation of the above Father
O'Flanagan gave out the following
statement:
Douglas Hyde's cablegram is meant
to correct false notion that has gone
abroad in America that the Irish
plays now being staged under the
management of Lady Gregory at the
Maxine Elliott theater were in some
way connected with the Gaelic revival
movement in Ireland. Neither Lady
Gregory nor William Butler Yeats
were ever elected to the governing
body of the league. Neither of them
has ever been present at d national
convention Of the league. Not one Of
the authors whose plays are now be-
ing staged in New York is recognized
in Ireland as a prominent Gaelic
Lacquer
1.-TWO bodies can speak officially for
the Gaelic League, its Coisde Gnotha,
or Executive Committee. and the Ard
Fheis, or annual convention. Neither
of these bodies has ever made any
ter production. The reason Of this Is
that nobody considered that the Alb
bey theater productions had sufficient
influence for or against the Gaelic
movement to warrant discussion by
either of these bodies. The plays are
written in new dialect of English
produced by a literal translation of
Gaelic idioms into English. This is a
purely literary dialect, and is not
spoken in any part Of Ireland. The
Gaelic League is not interested In the
creation of a new English dialect. It's
concern is with the Irish language.
The spirit of the Gaelic League is a
thing entirely different from the spirit
of the Abbey theater, the very anti
thesis of it many ways.
"Have either Lady Gregory or Will
liam Butler Yeats ever stated that
they did represent the Gaelic
League?" Father O'F'lanagan was
asked.
"No," Father O'F'lanagan admitted,
"but they are constantly referring to
it and talking as though they were
connected with it. A newspaper, for
example, recently quoted Lady Greg
ory as saying: We are the Gaelic
revival AS matter of fact, neither
Lady Gregory nor Mr.. Yeats has any
standing in Ireland so far as their
connection with the Gaelic revival Is
concerned. The dialect they use is
merely a literal translation of Irish
into English. They merely touch on
things connected with the revival In
their works. The furore which is made
over them in this country is indeed a
great surprise to us. More is heard
of them here in one week than has
been heard of them in Ireland in q
whole life time"
Shane Leslie who but recently ar
rived in America te~s,ra Ike an extended
lecture tour in the interest Of the Irish
language movement concurs in the
above statements.
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