Arthur Griffith And The Advanced Nationalist Press Ireland 1900 1922

This book focuses upon the role of Arthur Griffith, Ireland's controversial journalist-statesman, and his fellow journalists in the context of the advanced-nationalist press, during the Irish Renaissance: 1900-1922. It evaluates the contributions to the national cause of Griffith and others and contrasts their goals for Ireland, as seen in their newspapers. It reveals the great diversity of opinion among advanced nationalists - a diversity which precluded a united front as they ought to win freedom from English rule. It assesses Griffith's long struggle, first as a journalist and later as a statesman, to unite the Irish behind his plan for an independent Irish state - and why he failed to hold the new nation together as head of its provisional Government in 1922. An index of Irish newspapers which circulated in Ireland during the period surveyed is included.

As a working-class Dubliner who played a crucial role in inspiring and leading Dáil Éireann in its formative stages, Arthur Griffith's life and world is one of the greatest windows into understanding the dynamics of the Irish revolution. Owen McGee's authoritative biography is based on fascinating original research and presents a fresh analysis and interpretation of Griffith's life and the economic basis of the political history of the era. Griffith has been typified as 'the last Young Irelander' and Owen McGee's masterly account reflects on this by examining the very different conceptions of Irish nationalism that existed before and after the formation of the Irish state. It also suggests that Griffith's belief in the importance of economic freedoms and the ability of an independent Ireland to provide for its own people, was an ideal that inspired the subsequent evolution of the Irish state.

Almost a century after his untimely death in 1922, this lively and insightful new assessment explores the man Michael Collins described as ‘father of us all’ and reclaims Arthur Griffith as the founder of both Sinn Féin and the Irish Free State. Since his death when President of Dáil Éireann, Griffith’s role has often been misrepresented. Too radical for some, he was not militant enough for others. His legacy belongs to no single political party today. Colum Kenny argues that efforts to ‘other’ Griffith as ‘un-Irish’ raise uncomfortable questions about Irish identity. A dedicated activist and intellectual, as well as a skilled editor and balladeer, Griffith knew what it meant to be poor. He encouraged women to get involved in the struggle for Irish independence, and, unusually for his time, distinguished between Oscar Wilde’s private life and his work. Griffith’s complex relationships with Maud Gonne, W.B. Yeats and James Joyce are revealed here in significant new ways. The Enigma of Arthur Griffith brings the ‘father of us all’ into focus for a new generation.

Women, Press, and Politics explores the literary and historical significance of women writing for the most influential body of nationalist journalism during the Irish revival, the advanced nationalist press. This work studies women’s writings in the Irish national tradition, focusing in particular on leading feminine voices in the cultural and political movements that helped launch the Eater Rising of 1916: Augusta Gregory, Alice Milligan, Maud Gonne, Constance Markievicz, Delia Larkin, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, and Louie Bennett. Karen Steele argues that by examining the innovative work of these writers from the perspective of women’s artistry and women’s political investments, we can best appreciate the expansive range of their cultural productions and the influence these had on other nationalists, who went on to shape Irish politics and culture in the decades to come.

Almost a century after his untimely death in 1922, this lively new assessment looks at the man Michael Collins described as 'father of us all', and reclaims Griffith as the founder of both Sinn Fein and the Irish Free State. Since his death when President of Dail Eireann, Griffith's role has often been misrepresented. Too radical for Fine Gael, he was not militant enough for opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Kenny argues that efforts to 'other' Griffith as 'un-Irish' raise uncomfortable questions about Irish identity. Griffith is also shown to have become a scapegoat for Irish anti-Semitism, which he rejected, and his courage in signing the Treaty to end the War of Independence, when Eamon de Valera refused to go to London, is highlighted. A dedicated nationalist and intellectual, as well as a skilled editor and balladeer, Griffith encouraged women to become involved in the struggle for national independence, and, unusually for his time, was able to distinguish between Oscar Wilde's private life and his work. His complex relationships with W.B. Yeats and James Joyce are also revealed in significant new ways. The Enigma of Arthur Griffith brings the real Arthur Griffith back into focus for a new generation.

The Ireland of Ulysses was still a part of Britain. This book is the first comprehensive, historical study of Joyce's great novel in the context of Anglo-Irish political and cultural relations in the period 1880-1920. The first forty years of Joyce's life also witnessed the emergence of what historians now call English cultural nationalism. This formation was perceptible in a wide range of different discourses. Ulysses engages with many of them. In doing so, it resists, transforms, and works to transcend the effects of British rule in Ireland. The novel was written in the years leading up to Irish independence. It is powered by both a will to freedom and a will to justice. But the two do not always coincide, and Joyce does not place his art in the service of any existing political cause. His struggle for independence has its own distinctive mode. The result is a unique work of liberation - and revenge.