Historiography

Ireland witnessed outstanding developments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in both culture and politics. It is common to refer to the former, at least, as a renaissance; a claim could be made for the latter, as well. Characteristic of both was an articulation of what it meant to be Irish, although there was much variety in the answers proffered. Instead of taking a narrative of Celtic revival for granted, some questions immediately present themselves. In what sense can we talk of a phenomenon of Celticism in a post-colonial environment when the very word is redolent of a particular form of power relations? Secondly, what were the origins of revivalism and how did it relate to other movements in Europe? It is no longer tenable to talk of Gaelic exceptionalism – most historians now put it in a context of several other earlier Gaelic revivals and a pan-Celtic fascination. It is also possible to read the movement as emblematic of the growing interest in the spiritual content of nationhood – those things like myth, value, symbol and memory which go towards the articulation of an identity. A movement of cultural renaissance is not uncommon in a society growing in self-awareness. A further question which may well be debated is to what extent the cultural was also political. In particular, the links with the tradition of independent nationalism must be investigated.