"Life and the Dream": Utopian Impulses Within the Irish Language Revival

The purpose of this essay is to examine the utopian impulses and constructions within the Irish-language social movement known as the Gaelic League, a movement that formed the nucleus of mass Irish cultural nationalism at the fin de siècle. It will determine the influence of utopian thought and action upon the social and political direction of Irish society in the early twentieth century. The conflicts between the Gaelic League's romanticization of all things Irish and the reality it faced will be highlighted, as will the fault lines that existed within its approach to achieving its vision for Ireland's future.