Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde, known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn, was an Irish academic, linguist, and scholar of the Irish languagewho served as the first President of Ireland from 1938-45. He was a leading figure in the Gaelic revival, and first president of the Gaelic League, one of the most influential cultural organisations in Ireland at the time...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionWorld Leader
Date of Birth17 January 1860
CountryIreland
catholic hand interest ireland landlord life priest time unionist within work
For the first time in Ireland within my recollection, Catholic and Protestant, Unionist and Nationalist, landlord and tenant, priest and parson, all work hand in hand in the interest of Ireland's life and intellectuality.
attached graceful legend lonely strange tree valley
Every crag and gnarled tree and lonely valley has its own strange and graceful legend attached to it.
arrest ashamed decay order ourselves teach
In order to de-Anglicize ourselves, we must at once arrest the decay of the language. We must teach ourselves not to be ashamed of ourselves.
activity among century eighteenth literary
The literary activity of even the eighteenth century among the Gaels was very great.
answer believe difference english englishmen exactly firmly irish jump material nine prosperity purchase question refuse shows ten
How many Irishmen are there who would purchase material prosperity at such a price? It is exactly such a question as this and the answer to it that shows the difference between the English and Irish race. Nine Englishmen out of ten would jump to make the exchange, and I firmly believe that nine Irishmen out of ten would indignantly refuse it.
above character englishmen excellent habits imitated noble qualities turn
Englishmen have very noble and excellent qualities which I should like to see imitated here, but I should not like to imitate them in everything. I like our own habits and character better, they are more consonant to my nature; I like our own turn of thought, our own characteristics, and above all I like our own language.
actual acute cannot colonies conceive destroying england inflict language leaders life mountains native pain passed power sentiment succeeded
I cannot conceive a more acute pain in the power of sentiment to inflict than that which I should feel if, after a life passed in England or the colonies or India, I were to come back to my native mountains and find that the indifference or the actual discouragement of our leaders had succeeded in destroying the language of my childhood.
alive barrier community keeping language number small spoken
We are told that the keeping alive a language spoken by so small a number of the community is a barrier to progress.
powerful moving passion
The Gaelic League is founded not upon hatred of England, but upon love of Ireland. Hatred is a negative passion; it is powerful - a very powerful destroyer; but it is useless for building up. Love, on the other hand, is like faith; it can move mountains, and faith, we have mountains to move.
way language shame
It is a most disgraceful shame the way in which Irishmen are brought up. They are ashamed of their language, institutions, and of everything Irish.
tree legends strange
Every craggy and gnarled tree has its own strange and graceful legend attached to it.
educational passing-away culture
As our language wanes and dies, the golden legends of the far-off centuries fade and pass away. No one sees their influence upon culture; no one sees their educational power.
character helping celtic
I - and there are hundreds of thousands of Irishmen who felt on this subject as I do - have always liked my Celtic countrymen and disliked the English nation; it is a national trait of character, and I cannot help it.
heart light world
By Anglicising ourselves we have thrown away with a light heart the best claim we have upon the world's recognition of us as a seperate nationality...the notes of nationality, our language and customs.