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.