Overview

Douglas Hyde—a scholar, linguist, and lifelong promoter of Gaelic culture and heritage—was elected the first President of the Republic of Ireland in 1938. My American Journey provides a compelling firsthand account of a little-known chapter from the early life of this seminal Irish figure: the fundraising trip through the United States he undertook on behalf of the Gaelic League in 1905–6. This collection of journal and diary entries was originally published in the Irish language in 1937 and is now presented for the first time in a bilingual edition, complete with newly discovered archival material and extensive illustrations. Hyde’s work on this voyage was both culturally and politically vital. The funds he raised contributed to the hiring and training of Irish-language teachers and organizers who traveled across Ireland spreading the Gaelic League message, helping to sustain a cultural revolution which, in turn, gave rise to the political uprising from which Irish sovereignty ultimately emerged. With a new foreword by current Irish President Michael D. Higgins and punctuated with numerous images, My American Journey sheds light on an important segment of the life of one of Ireland’s most underappreciated leaders.  

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9781910820483

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Reviews

In Douglas Hyde, My American Journey his Irish language account of the eight-month trip (originally published in 1937) has been translated into English for the first time by the editors, with help from illuminating illustrations and photographs culled from the period to help bring his trip to life. . . . Now for the first time in English, you can read about his efforts, which yielded political as well as cultural change. . . . This invaluable book gives you an insight into what drove him and how his efforts resonated across continents. --IrishCentral

'Douglas Hyde's My American Journey is both a beautiful book and a profoundly important one ... My American Journey should take an honored place on the shelves of those interested in the connections between Ireland and Irish-America, and especially those with an interest in the Gaelic Revival and its distinct manifestation in the US as contrasted with (and in relationship to) its home base in Ireland. Most important, it will become a landmark in the burgeoning research lifting Douglas Hyde to the place he deserves in the historical consciousness'. Irish Literary Supplement, Spring 2021 ||| 'By the turn of the century, there were some 600 Gaelic League branches all over Ireland and up to 250,000 people taking language lessons. Hyde's league was reviving not just their heritage but their self-determination. This invaluable book gives you an insight into what drove him and how his efforts resonated across continents.' Cahir O'Doherty, Irish Central, December 2019. ||| 'Now UCD Press has produced this sumptuous edition of Hyde's My American Journey ... The present volume comprises the full Irish text and an English translation of it, and there is a fine introduction by Liam Mac Mathuna, professor emeritus of Irish at UCD.' Felix Larkin, Irish Catholic, January 2020

Author Information

Liam Mac Mathúna is professor and head of the School of Irish, Celtic Studies, Folklore and Linguistics at University College Dublin. Brian Ó Conchubhair is associate professor of Irish Language and Literature at the University of Notre Dame. Niall Comer is a lecturer in Irish at the University of Ulster. Cuan Ó Seireadáin is a curator at Conradh na Gaeilge. Máire Nic an Bhaird is a lecturer in Irish language and literature in the Froebel Department, Maynooth University.

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