Page:The Gael Vol XXII January to December 1903.djvu/30

January, 1903. only a poor devil of an innkeeper with a rascally wife, Dennis considers himself "a jintleman" because he was "brought up to the church"; which, being interpreted, means that as a lad he "opened the pew doors in Belfast," and lost his situation for snoring so loud during sermon time as to awaken the rest of the congregation!

Down to the close of the eighteenth century the stage has seen a vast amount of Irish characterization but practically no Irish drama. Of early plays with a distinctively Irish atmosphere one can only recall Shirley's "Saint Patrick for Ireland" (1640) and Macklin's clever satire, "The TrueBorn Irishman; or Irish Fine Lady" (1760). Hence it was that the stage Irishman was shown for the most part in uncongenial surroundings, a bright gem in indifferent setting. So much of caricature often crept into the portraiture that there were characters like the Captain O'Cutter of Colman's "Jealous Wife" (1761), that not even the most complacent of Dublin audiences would tolerate.

To the building up of Irish drama proper many circumstances contributed. With the taking off of Jack Johnstone, adequate exponents of the chivalrous-minded Irish gentleman became rare birds on earth, and very like black swans. There were twenty Teagues for one Sir Lucius. Irish chivalry could no longer be embodied, and the dramatist had perforce to fall back upon the unfailing supply of Irish humor. Admitted that high tragic flights were eventually reached, as in the "Brian Boroihme" of Sheridan Knowles and "The Warden of Galway" of the Rev. Edward Groves, still the record of Irish drama in the nineteenth century is purely a record of melodrama and farce. Its trend in the beginning was largely influenced by the Union, which by dint Of making absenteeism fashionable, and of creating discord between landlord and tenant, gave to the Irish playwright a plentiful supply of incident and characterisation.

Irish drama proper, however, may be said to have owed its origin and derived its inspiration from the vogue of the novels of Lady Morgan, Maria Edgeworth, Gerald Griffin, Lever and Samuel Lover. So early as 1831 Griffin's profoundly tragic tale, "The Collegians" (eventually to be the source of "The Colleen Bawn"), had been dramatized for performance at Chapman's City Theatre, in Milton Street, Cripplegate. Moreover, the chicanery of middlemen and laxity of absentee landlords had formed the theme of "The Irishman's Home," as produced at the Westminster Theatre: in Tothill Street, London, in May, 1833. Apart from these tentative efforts, however, the immediate sponsors of Irish melodrama were assuredly Buckstone, Boucicault and Edmund Falconer.

Transferred with the red corpuscles of the people, the conventional stage Irishman gained new life at the hands of Dion Boucicault, that master of his craft, who endowed the type with imagination as well as wit, pathos as well as humor. If no one has taken his place, or shown earnest of being able to carry on his work, we must console ourselves philosophically with the reflection that the century plant only blossoms once in a hundred years.

HE Publication Committee of the Gaelic League in Ireland met on Monday, December 1st, Mr. J. H. Lloyd in the chair. Also present were Miss A. O'Farrelly, M.A.; Messrs. Seamus O'Kelly, B. A.; Eamonn O'Neill, B. A.; S. J. Barrett, and P. H. Pearse, B. A., B L. Mr. P. O'Daly, general secretary, was also in attendance. It was reported that since the last meeting of the committee the following new publications had been issued from the press:

1. School edition of "Cormac Ua Conaill," edited with notes and vocabulary by the author, Father Dinneen.

2. School edition of "Beatna Eoghain Ruaidh," edited with notes and vocabulary by Father Dinneen and J. J. O'Kelly. Both these works are on the Intermediate Programme, 1903, and the former is on the programme for the Gaelic League Teaching Diploma.

3. "Dubhthaltach MacFirbisigh," a biographical sketch, by Owen Naughton, published with notes and vocabulary, at 2d. This work is also on the Diploma Programme.

4. Part II. of "An Aithriseoir," or Irish Recitation Book, edited by Tadhg O'Donoghue and P. H. Pearse, B. A., B. L., and containing a number of pieces in prose and poetry suitable for recitation; price, one penny.

5. "A Handbook of Irish Teaching," by P. T. MacGinley. This work was awarded first prize at last year's Oireachtas. It is based on the discoveries of M. Gouin, and contains a set of Gouin series and a vocabulary; price in paper. 1s., in cloth, 1s. 6d.

6 and 7. "Pearla an Bhroilaigh Bhain" and "Seaghan Ua Duibhir an Ghleanna," being Nos. 4 and 5 of the Oireachtas Choir series of Irish songs, arranged in four parts by Robert Dwyer; price, 3d. each.

8. "Lessons from Modern Language Movements," a new propagandist pamphlet in English, by W. P. O'Riain.

9. Fr. O'Donovan's recent "O'Growney Memorial Lecture," delivered In Dublin, under the auspices of the Dublin Coisde Ceanntair.

It was reported that the following works now in the press would be issued immediately:

1. School Reading Charts, based on the committee's Irish Infant Primer. The charts, which measure 2 ft 6 in. by 1 ft 8 in., are bound in books of 56 pages, and will be published at 2s. 6d. each.

2. "An tAillean," a child's picture book in colors, written by Tadhg O'Donoghue, and illustrated by George Fagan. The book contains, in addition to a colored cover, eight full-page colored pictures, and numerous black and white sketches. It will be on the market almost immediately, and will form a beautiful and useful gift book. The price will be 1s.

The following new works submitted to the committee were accepted for publication: "Duine le Dia," a short etory by Miss O'Farrelly; "Beirt Fhear," a collection of sketches in dialogue by J. J. Doyle.

It was decided to issue as a propagandist leaflet the Report on the Teaching of Irish in the John Street schools, Dublin, recently made by Miss Killeen and Mr. Pearse. It was agreed that the series of Bilingual Readers should be pushed on with all possible speed, and that a series of Geographical Readers in Irish should be at once undertaken. The publication of a set of short plays suitable for acting by school children in Irish-speaking districts, was also discussed.