author

Ernest Augustus Boyd

1887–1946

An Irish-born critic, essayist, and translator, he helped introduce modern Irish literature to wider audiences and later became a lively literary presence in New York. His writing moves easily between criticism, cultural commentary, and a deep interest in the shape of Irish writing in the early 20th century.

1 Audiobook

The Sacred Egoism of Sinn Féin

The Sacred Egoism of Sinn Féin

by Ernest Augustus Boyd

About the author

Born in Dublin on June 28, 1887, Ernest Augustus Boyd was an Irish writer, critic, translator, and sometime consul. He worked in the British consular service before leaving it in 1920 and making his way to New York, where he built a reputation as an influential literary voice.

Boyd is especially remembered for writing about Irish literature and drama at a moment when both were changing quickly. He wrote books including The Contemporary Drama of Ireland, and his work helped readers outside Ireland engage with the country’s modern writers, ideas, and cultural debates.

He also translated and wrote more broadly on European and American literary life, bringing a critic’s eye and a readable style to everything he did. He died on December 30, 1946.