History assignment 1 - Grade: B+ PDF

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Document Study: Document 2: The Necessity for De-Anglicising Ireland...

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Document Study: Document 2: The Necessity for De-Anglicising Ireland.

I have chosen document 2: ‘The Necessity for De-Anglicising Ireland’ to study for my document analysis. In this exquisite speech, Douglas Hyde gives an abundance of information regarding Irelands diminishing culture and heritage and it gave me a much deeper understanding of the Anglicisation in the 1890’s, particularly in the year 1892 when this speech was written and delivered before the Irish National Literary Society in Dublin. I found this particular document to be very interesting as it achieved its aim of reviving our native culture. There were many different things happening at this time regarding the Anglicisation of Ireland including our disappearing national tongue, our lacking literary works and the complete disregard of Irish history, music and heritage in the education system. After analysing this particular piece I wish to speak of three main points in my essay, they include: Irish culture as a whole, the Irish literary revival and education in anglicised Ireland. Immediately as I started reading Hyde’s speech I noted that that is was being delivered to the Irish National Literary Society, and that certainly showed that it was aimed at a specific audience in particular. Even though it was claimed to be aimed at all of the country, it certainly alienated the majority of the average population. Although it was written with a specific audience in mind, it is, nonetheless, a very captivating speech about cultural revival in our fair country and I think Hyde made his points in a very clear and concise manner. The first point in which I wish to speak about is the Irish culture as a whole. Hyde says he has “often heard people thank God that if the English gave us nothing else they gave us at least their language” (Hyde 1892). According to Hyde there is a “folly of neglecting what is Irish”, for example our language, culture and heritage, and a “hastening

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to adopt, pell-mell, and indiscriminately, everything that is English, simply because it is English” (Hyde 1892). I find it hard to blame Irish citizens for adopting an English way of life when so much pressure is put on them to do so. A huge part of our culture as a nation is our language. Hyde speaks of the Irish people who “drop their own language to speak English” (Hyde 1892) but I think that he fails to understand or acknowledge that this was happening globally and that English was quickly becoming a language that was spoken all over the world. Ireland would be behind if the kept the focus purely on Irish and not on English. Hyde puts an enormous emphasis on the tragedy of the loss of our romantic language. He pulls no punches in letting his audience know that he believes it to be a disgrace and that the people should feel a sense of shame because of it. He speaks of the ‘failure of the Irish people’ condemning them and their anglicised ways and I found that he speaks of his own people in quite a negative light regarding their loss of identity. Many more spoke English as their first language and Irish was fast lagging behind, ‘the gentry spoke English as a first language and in much of the country no Irish at all’ (Yeats society 2015). This was heart-breaking for Hyde as he speaks of the tragic loss of our language stating that ‘the losing of it is our greatest blow’ (Hyde 1892). In retaliation is the stomping out of the language Hyde attempts to peak peoples interest in it by offering ‘medals or badges of honour’ to families that make an attempt to speak it. Hyde even goes on to say that the Irish will look ridiculous not being able to speak their national tongue stating ‘would make it at least as disgraceful as for an educated Jew to be quite ignorant of Hebrew’(Hyde 1892). Another huge loss to our national heritage according to Hyde is the loss of our Gaelic names, places and people, but specifically surnames. He states that the ‘O’s and the Mac’s dropped’, it is a travesty that something so personal to us can be stripped of us so easily. Unlike many other cultural aspects our names define us in a very personal sense. 2

They represent our heritage and our history. They represent our family and the achievements of past generations and that is especially important to the Irish. A country of proud people, our names are a way for us to show honour and a way in which for us to take pride in our small but strong country. Which makes it all the more disrespectful for the English to turn ‘all of Irish names of places and people into English names’ (Hyde 1892). Our names are our identities and they are slowly vanishing. The next topic I wish to speak about is the Irish Literary Revival and the Anglicisation of Irish literature and films and the effects it had on great Irish authors. The Irish Literary Revival was the blossoming of Irish literature in the late 19 th and early 20th century. Hyde speaks a lot about literature in his speech and this time period, the 1890’s, was an affluent time for Irish writers. Cornelius Weygandt said that “we speak very loosely when we say “The Irish Literary Revival” for the movement we are discussing is not a revival at all, but chiefly the reawakening of interest” (Weygandt 1904). People were starting to gain interest in their own national artists, authors, actors and poets and appreciation began to rapidly grow for the arts. Galleries were beginning to open and were showcasing some of Irelands finest pieces, people were gaining recognition for things that should have been recognised long before, but at least it was beginning to happen now and at the forefront of the Irish literary revival was W.B Yeats. Yeats, like Hyde, had strong opinions regarding Irelands Anglicisation, “much of Yeats’ work could be interpreted as promoting the ideal of an independent republic free from the taint of Anglicisation” (National library of Ireland). Although he was very smart and had a great interest in the topic, I believe that Yeats had a very romantic idea of Ireland and I don’t think that his particular ideas were very realistic or modern. Hyde had a great love for Irish literature and despised the fact that it was quickly vanishing. Near the beginning of his speech he doesn’t speak very fondly of those who 3

chose English books and literature over that of Irish ones saying “I should also like to call attention to the illogical position of men who drop their own language to speak English, of men who translate their euphonious Irish names into English monosyllables, of men who read English books and know nothing about Irish literature” (Hyde 1892). It quite clearly angers him that people are beginning to favour English author instead of supporting and nurturing our own national talent. Hyde, who was a co-founder of the National Literary Society, in which this speech was delivered to, was passionately involved in the revival of great Irish literature in the 1890s and this speech made it all the more appealing to the public. There was an increase in film, albeit not as much as film but it was making its way onto the scene and despite the attempted Anglicisation of our country, the arts faired quite well. I also think that Hyde’s speech had a profound effect on Irish authors and it was clear to see that it gave them a sense of motivation to carry on writing despite the threat of Anglicisation. He says that the Irish simultaneously love and loath English customs and that this is in fact hindering Ireland production of great literature stating that, “the Irish race is at present in a most anomalous position, imitating England and yet apparently hating it. How can it produce anything good in literature, art, or institutions as long as it is actuated by motives so contradictory?” he believes that we as a nation must first stand united and strong before we can attempt to do anything else. The last point that stood out for me from Hyde’s speech that I will discuss is that of education in anglicised Ireland. Again a large part of Irish education is that of the teaching of Irish. It was an ongoing battle during that time as people like Hyde strongly believed that it should be avidly taught and spoken in national schools but many parents didn’t seem that interested in their children learning it. The learning of Irish literature and history in schools was dwindling and Hyde says that “our Irish intonation changed, as far as possible by English schoolmasters into something English; our history no longer 4

remembered or taught; the names of our rebels and martyrs blotted out; our battlefields and traditions forgotten” (Hyde 1892). Not only was the English curriculum being introduced and taught in our schools, the Irish one was being phased out. Hyde proposes an interesting question in his speech, “how many Irishmen are there who would purchase material prosperity at such a price?” (Hyde 1892). He believes their national identity is more important to them. He speaks of the necessity of the use of Irish books stating “that is the necessity for encouraging the use of Anglo-Irish literature instead of English books, especially instead of English periodicals” (Hyde 1892). Children in schools would likely never be exposed to Irish readings if it didn’t happen in school. Our national sports, which were of great importance were also vanishing as football and hurling were being replaced by sports such as rugby and cricket and Hyde claims that we are “following them in our dress, literature, music, games and ideas” (Hyde 1892). Our national identity was being taken over by the English and it was most evident in our schools. In conclusion, I found my chosen document, document 2: ‘The Necessity for DeAnglicising Ireland’ to be extremely interesting. I found Hyde’s views and points very relatable and easy to understand. From researching Anglicisation around the 1890’s I feel that Hyde’s points and views were very suitable. I think that his captivating speech inspired a new generation of great Irish literature and I believe that it also gave our national tongue a new lease of life as it spiked an interest in many who had never or who had given up speaking it. Although this speech was aimed at particular class of people, I think it reached a broader audience and I admired how Hyde pleads with his audience to make an attempt to support the arts right up until the end saying “I would earnestly appeal” (Hyde 1892) to try to pave our own way with regard to fashion, literature and games. Hyde’s closing line made quite a big impression on me, “because upon Irish lines alone can the Irish race once more become what it was of yore—one of the most original, 5

artistic, literary, and charming peoples of Europe” (Hyde 1892). Although I had already found myself agreeing with his views, his final line certainly drew me in even more.

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Work Cited: 

Weygandt, Cornelius, October 1904, ‘The Irish Literary Revival’, The Sewanee Review. Vol. 12 no. 4, pp. 420-431.

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Hyde, Douglas, November 1892, ‘The Necessity for De-Anglicising Ireland’, Dublin.

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March 2015, ‘The Decline of the Irish Language in the Nineteenth Century’, The Yeats Society.

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National library of Ireland, ‘W.B Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival’, The 1916 Rising: Personalities & Perspectives an online exhibition.

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