LANGUAGE RELIGION AND CULTURE 1922 1949 Leaving Cert

LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND CULTURE 1922 -1949 Leaving Cert History

Building a Gaelic State § Revival of Irish seen by both big parties as essential to real independence. § As soon as the British left some place names were changed. § Irish became compulsory in both primary and secondary schools in the 1920 s. § Extra grants given to Gael scoileanna. § Extra marks given to exams done in Irish

Building a Gaelic State § Admission to teachertraining colleges favoured students from the Gaeltacht. § An Irish test had to be passed by those entering civil service, Guards, Army and teaching. § Radio Eireann had to do several hours of Irish programmes. § 1937 Constitution made Irish the ‘first official language’.

Success or Failure § Did not stop the decline because: § Still needed for emigration § English remained the language of business and employment § English remained the language of entertainment (books, film, radio) § Compulsion created resentment

Irish and Catholic? § After partition 93% were Catholic. § Protestants Abandoned by Craig and North. § Some killed during War of Independence and many great houses burned. § They did have wealth and had many big jobs in banks and business.

Treatment of Protestants by the New State § Cosgrave appointed 24 to the Senate § Proportional Representation. § Legally they were treated equally. § First president Douglas Hyde was Protestant

Why did Numbers Decline? § Children of mixed marriages had to be Catholic. § Poor economy § Became increasingly difficult to be ‘British’ as time went on § Growing power of the Catholic Church and interference in education, health and sexual morality

Concern about Morality § Imported magazines, films, radio. § Women had more economic and political freedom. § Conservative groups were worried that traditional values would disappear. § The most conservative group were the clergy and they had enormous power and support.

Laws were introduced which: § Censored film § Banned ‘indecent’ literature. Really strict and not relaxed until the 1960 s. § Cut the number of pubs by half and reduced opening hours § Banned contraception § Regulated dance halls. § By the 1930 s Ireland prided itself as a Catholic state and this was reflected in the Eucharistic Congress of 1932 N BA D E N

The Eucharistic Congress June 1932 (Case Study) § Held every 3 years in a different city to celebrate the Eucharist. § Cosgrave’s government persuaded the Vatican but Dev was in power. § Garda Commissioner O Duffy was the organiser. § Flags and bunting everywhere. § Pilgrims and clergy from abroad.

The Eucharistic Congress June 1932 (Case Study) § Floating hotels in Dublin bay. § Monday 20 th June Cardinal Lauri arrived in Dun Laoghaire. It lasted a week. Weather was good. § Garden party in Blackrock College and a different mass in the Park for men, women and children. § Sunday was the big mass in the Park. Latest in loudspeakers to be used and broadcast on radio. § Huge altar.

The Eucharistic Congress June 1932 (Case Study) § Saint Patrick’s bell used in the Mass. § John Mc. Cormack sang Panis Angelicus § Pope’s voice broadcast from Rome. § After the mass, a big procession to O Connell street for Benediction

Importance § Showed we could hold a big international event. § Showed strength of Catholic church and increased the power of hierarchy. § Made government more ready to legislate against contraception and divorce and may have influenced the Constitution. § Important for Fianna Fail as many had been excommunicated.

Artists and Writers in the New Ireland § At the start of the century painters and writers reflected the nationalist, romantic view of rural western Ireland as espoused by the GL and Anglo-Irish Literary movement. § This continued after independence with Paul Henry and the early Jack B. Yeats. § Younger painters like Sean Keating continued this tradition (Shannon Scheme) § Mainie Jellet and Evie Hone brought cubism and abstraction to Ireland from France but these were not popular in conservative Ireland. § Hone was deeply religious and switched to stained glass

Artists and Writers in the New Ireland § The Abbey was controlled by W. B Yeats and Lady Gregory and in the 1920 s they discovered O Casey. After showing The Shadow of a Gunman, Juno and the Plough they rejected ‘The Silver Tassie’ as it was too experimental. O Casey went to England. § Ernest Blythe who had, as Minister for Finance, subsidised the Abbey took it over and there was no room for experimentation after that until the 1960 s.

Artists and Writers in the New Ireland § New writers like Frank O Connor, Liam O Flaherty and Sean O Faolain challenged the romantic view of Ireland the struggle for independence. § However, strict censorship discouraged writers and drove very good ones (Joyce) away.