author
Douglas Hyde
1860–1949
A leading force in Ireland’s language revival, this scholar and writer helped bring Irish culture back into public life before going on to become the country’s first president. His work blends folklore, history, and a deep love of the Irish language.
2 Audiobooks
The Revival of Irish Literature Addresses by Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, K.C.M.G, Dr. George Sigerson, and Dr. Douglas Hyde
by Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, Douglas Hyde, George Sigerson
About the author
Born in County Roscommon in 1860, Douglas Hyde grew up surrounded by spoken Irish, an experience that shaped the rest of his life. He became a scholar, poet, folklorist, and teacher, and wrote in both Irish and English under the pen name An Craoibhín Aoibhinn.
Hyde is best remembered as a co-founder and first president of the Gaelic League, the hugely influential movement created in 1893 to encourage the use and study of Irish. He collected songs and stories, promoted Irish literature, and argued that the language was central to the country’s cultural identity.
His public standing eventually carried him into national office, and from 1938 to 1945 he served as the first President of Ireland. Even beyond politics, he remains an important figure in Irish cultural history: a writer and revivalist whose work helped preserve traditions that might otherwise have been lost.