Synge and the Irish Language

Synge was the victim of a cruel paradox: those who loved his works knew no Irish and those who loved Irish despised his works. Leading international commentators came to accept the assumption that the dramatist knew little or nothing of his native language. This book shows that, on the contrary, Synge's command of Irish was extensive and that this knowledge proved invaluable in the writing of his major plays. This radical reappraisal of Synge's achievement draws extensively on his unpublish...