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The Irish Literary Revival
The Creative Visionary Imagination – a Spirit of
Mankind in Sympathy and Awe of Nature in nations in the possession of a great mystical age lying
Balance, these were seeds that lay at the heart of Ireland’s behind their progress through time, imparting to their
quest to throw off shackles to The Crown. lives its own greatness and glory, inspiring life and hope
The Irish Language was recognised as key to a and a buoyancy which laughs at obstacles and will not
blossoming of culture in the energy of this seed. recognise defeat. The very lawlessness and audacity of
What is the difference between that which proceeds conception which characterise such imagined ages are
through imitation and that which grows organically welcome. They prove overflowing youth and hope and
from within? It is the difference between that which point to a maturity of power.
may endure and that which is doomed to oblivion. The gigantic conceptions of heroism and strength, with
The ‘civilization” of the Western Hemisphere was built which the forefront of Irish History is thronged, prove
upon a vision of ancient Greece as it’s founding model. the great future of this race and land.”
In Ireland there was a flourishing and sophisticated Standish O’Grady
ancient culture when the culture of ancient Greece “Father of the Irish Literary Revival”
was in her infancy. And yet, the colonising mindset As Standish O’Grady once observed, it is precisely
assumed a veneer of the vestiges of ancient Greece while those elements of history which are not historical in
simultaneously following a model of suppression – themselves that can arouse the deepest feelings. It is
demanding imitation and obedience. feelings after all that inspires action – where a mind
What Ireland offers is a connection to this root spirit of man can only calculate and criticise. Our horizon is
– the power of the seed rather than imitation, of Man’s wider that that which the mind can every conceive of.
soul in awe of Infinity in it’s fullness of Creation in all Today looking back at that which inspired a flowering
forms endlessly. of culture in Ireland at the turn of the 19th century let
Who are you? In the wisdom of the mystical realms of us recall the role of creativity; of joy and spontaneity
Ireland you may hear: informed by informed by a spiritual connection to the
land of Ireland
“You too are the wave and the bird on the wing, you are Without the writings of Standish O’Grady there would
the listener and the song that you sing.” have been no W.B. Yeats and no “Celtic Twilight”. A
body of literature – the ancient tales of Ireland, the
The writings of Standish O’Grady set the stage for a Annals compiled by monks from an Oral culture –
consciousness particular to Ireland informed by the these formed the inspiration for a great flowering of
beauty of Ireland’s landscape and a feeling for passionate Inspiration. “In hope, the soul of Man sought to look far
heroic ages long past. A sense of some possible other beyond the dull slums that were the inheritance of the
way of being – a hopeful alternative to the rural decline Industrial Revolution and dream of a way of life, once
and urban sprawl that was the inheritance of the again in harmony with nature. Again we may look to
civilizing influences of the day. the infinity and potency of humankind in our creativity
“Again we must remember the intellectual influence and spirituality.” What follows is an interesting account
exercised by Ireland over the north-west of Europe in of how Standish O’Grady came to bring the ancient
the sixth, seventh and eight centuries which is distinctly literature of Ireland to public attention and come to
however indirectly traceable to the Bards, the Druids ignite a passionate vision for another world.
of ancient Ireland. It is not in the nature of things that a ‘At school in Trinity College Dublin, i was an industrious
savage and untutored race should burst suddenly upon lad and worked through the curriculums with abundant
the world to assume spiritual control of peoples who had energy and some success; yet in the curriculums never
been for centuries in contact with Roman influence.” read one word about Irish history and legend, nor ever
...” all eager and vivid minds are irresistably attracted heard one word about these things from my pastors and
..by influences similar to those which attract us in masters.
storms, in the sea, in running water, in revolutionary When I was 23 years of age, had anyone told me- as later
epochs and in all that seems to indicate abounding life, on a professor of the Dublin City University actually
movement and freedom. Such an escape from the actual did- that Brian Boru was a mythical character, I would
is supplied to some more favoured and more gifted have believed him. I knew absolutely noting about our
past, not through my own fault, for I was willing enough
184
The Creative Visionary Imagination – a Spirit of
Mankind in Sympathy and Awe of Nature in nations in the possession of a great mystical age lying
Balance, these were seeds that lay at the heart of Ireland’s behind their progress through time, imparting to their
quest to throw off shackles to The Crown. lives its own greatness and glory, inspiring life and hope
The Irish Language was recognised as key to a and a buoyancy which laughs at obstacles and will not
blossoming of culture in the energy of this seed. recognise defeat. The very lawlessness and audacity of
What is the difference between that which proceeds conception which characterise such imagined ages are
through imitation and that which grows organically welcome. They prove overflowing youth and hope and
from within? It is the difference between that which point to a maturity of power.
may endure and that which is doomed to oblivion. The gigantic conceptions of heroism and strength, with
The ‘civilization” of the Western Hemisphere was built which the forefront of Irish History is thronged, prove
upon a vision of ancient Greece as it’s founding model. the great future of this race and land.”
In Ireland there was a flourishing and sophisticated Standish O’Grady
ancient culture when the culture of ancient Greece “Father of the Irish Literary Revival”
was in her infancy. And yet, the colonising mindset As Standish O’Grady once observed, it is precisely
assumed a veneer of the vestiges of ancient Greece while those elements of history which are not historical in
simultaneously following a model of suppression – themselves that can arouse the deepest feelings. It is
demanding imitation and obedience. feelings after all that inspires action – where a mind
What Ireland offers is a connection to this root spirit of man can only calculate and criticise. Our horizon is
– the power of the seed rather than imitation, of Man’s wider that that which the mind can every conceive of.
soul in awe of Infinity in it’s fullness of Creation in all Today looking back at that which inspired a flowering
forms endlessly. of culture in Ireland at the turn of the 19th century let
Who are you? In the wisdom of the mystical realms of us recall the role of creativity; of joy and spontaneity
Ireland you may hear: informed by informed by a spiritual connection to the
land of Ireland
“You too are the wave and the bird on the wing, you are Without the writings of Standish O’Grady there would
the listener and the song that you sing.” have been no W.B. Yeats and no “Celtic Twilight”. A
body of literature – the ancient tales of Ireland, the
The writings of Standish O’Grady set the stage for a Annals compiled by monks from an Oral culture –
consciousness particular to Ireland informed by the these formed the inspiration for a great flowering of
beauty of Ireland’s landscape and a feeling for passionate Inspiration. “In hope, the soul of Man sought to look far
heroic ages long past. A sense of some possible other beyond the dull slums that were the inheritance of the
way of being – a hopeful alternative to the rural decline Industrial Revolution and dream of a way of life, once
and urban sprawl that was the inheritance of the again in harmony with nature. Again we may look to
civilizing influences of the day. the infinity and potency of humankind in our creativity
“Again we must remember the intellectual influence and spirituality.” What follows is an interesting account
exercised by Ireland over the north-west of Europe in of how Standish O’Grady came to bring the ancient
the sixth, seventh and eight centuries which is distinctly literature of Ireland to public attention and come to
however indirectly traceable to the Bards, the Druids ignite a passionate vision for another world.
of ancient Ireland. It is not in the nature of things that a ‘At school in Trinity College Dublin, i was an industrious
savage and untutored race should burst suddenly upon lad and worked through the curriculums with abundant
the world to assume spiritual control of peoples who had energy and some success; yet in the curriculums never
been for centuries in contact with Roman influence.” read one word about Irish history and legend, nor ever
...” all eager and vivid minds are irresistably attracted heard one word about these things from my pastors and
..by influences similar to those which attract us in masters.
storms, in the sea, in running water, in revolutionary When I was 23 years of age, had anyone told me- as later
epochs and in all that seems to indicate abounding life, on a professor of the Dublin City University actually
movement and freedom. Such an escape from the actual did- that Brian Boru was a mythical character, I would
is supplied to some more favoured and more gifted have believed him. I knew absolutely noting about our
past, not through my own fault, for I was willing enough
184
