
audiobook
THREE PLAYS - THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE THE LAND THOMAS MUSKERRY - BY PADRAIC COLUM - BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
TO MY FRIEND THOMAS HUGHES KELLY THESE THREE IRISH PLAYS - AUTHOR'S NOTE
THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE - CHARACTERS
ACT I - SCENE: The interior of a farmer's cottage; the kitchen. The entrance is at the back right. To the left is the fire-place, an open hearth, with a fire of peat. There is a room door to the right, a pace below the entrance; and another room door below the fire-place. Between the room door and the entrance there is a row of wooden pegs, on which men's coats hang. Below this door is a dresser containing pretty delpht. There is a small window at back, a settle bed folded into a high bench; a small mirror hangs right of the window. A backed chair and some stools are about the hearth. A table to the right with cloth and tea things on it. The cottage looks pretty and comfortable. It is towards the close of an Autumn day.
CURTAIN - ACT II
CURTAIN - ACT III
END OF PLAY
THE LAND: AN AGRARIAN COMEDY IN THREE ACTS - CHARACTERS
THOMAS MUSKERRY - CHARACTERS
This compact volume brings together three early‑twentieth‑century Irish dramas that capture the spirit of a nation in transition. Written for the fledgling Irish National Theatre, the plays blend everyday conversation with deeper questions about identity, land, and the pull of tradition versus the promise of change. Their modest settings—rural cottages, a modest farmyard, and a middle‑class drawing‑room—let the characters’ hopes and frustrations come into sharp focus.
In the first piece, a fiddler’s household wrestles with love and duty as a young farmhand contemplates a marriage that pits affection against financial security. The second explores the optimism sparked by the Land Act, portraying the tension between newly reclaimed soil and the lure of emigration for the younger generation. The final work turns to the middle class, where ambition meets the weight of family expectations and societal authority, hinting at the personal costs of striving for status. Together, the plays offer a vivid snapshot of Irish life on the cusp of modernity.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (207K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Apr 1, 2004
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1881–1972
A leading voice of the Irish Literary Revival, he wrote poetry, plays, novels, and beloved retellings of myths and folktales. His work carries the music of oral storytelling and a deep feeling for Irish life and tradition.
View all books
by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum

by Padraic Colum