Daniel Corkery's Cultural Criticism: Selected Writings

Chronology of Corkery’s Life

Chronology of Corkery’s Life Year Age Life 1876 1878 Born in Cork city; son of William, a carpenter, and Mary (Barron) Corkery; educated initially at Presentation Brothers Elementary School, where he taught for some years as a monitor 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1893 1899 Chronology of his Times Irish Cultural Context Irish Historical Events Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language founded Standish O’Grady, History of Ireland: The Heroic Period Irish language sanctioned as an ‘extra’ National Land League school subject founded Gaelic Union founded Ladies’ Land League founded Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge/The Gaelic Journal established Gaelic Athletic Association founded Fenian dynamite campaign Douglas Hyde, ‘A Plea for the Irish First Home Rule Bill Language’ W.B. Yeats, The Celtic Twilight Second Home Rule Bill Douglas Hyde, Abhráin Grádh Chúige Connacht, or Love Songs of Connacht Gaelic League founded Commission on Intermediate Education; heated debate as to whether the Irish language should be on the school curriculum Year Age Life 1900 1901 23 Joins the Gaelic League Writes his first article for The Leader (under the pen-name ‘Lee’) 1902 1903 25 Short stories by Corkery are published in The Irish Rosary and The Leader Attends a performance of Douglas Hyde’s An Pósadh in which Hyde plays Raifteirí 1904 Irish Cultural Context Irish Historical Events An Claidheamh Soluis is established as newspaper of the Gaelic League Catholic Truth Society of Ireland founded D.P. Moran founds The Leader Cumann na nGaedheal founded Stopford A. Brooke and T.W. Rolleston, First meeting of Inghinidhe na A Treasury Of Irish Poetry in the English hÉireann Tongue Queen Victoria visits Ireland Douglas Hyde’s Casadh an tSúgáin performed at the Irish Literary Theatre; first play in the Irish language to be professionally produced Patrick Dinneen, Cormac Ua Conaill; the first historical novel in the Irish language W.B. Yeats, Cathleen ni Houlihan Lady Gregory, Cuchulain of Muirthemne Dun Emer Press founded (renamed Cuala Press in 1908) J.M. Synge, In the Shadow of the Glen Wyndham’s Land Act George Moore, The Untilled Field Irish National Theatre Society founded G.B. Shaw, John Bull’s Other Island J.M. Synge, Riders to the Sea Michael Davitt, The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland Peadar Ó Laoghaire, Séadna Opening of the Abbey Theatre Year Age Life 1905 27 Appointed assistant teacher in St Francis’s National School, Cork Attends lecture given by W.B. Yeats in Cork 1906 28 Undertakes teacher training at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin 1907 29 Resumes teaching at St Francis’s National School, Cork Visits Abbey Theatre for the first time Attends Abbey production of J.M. Synge’s Riders to the Sea in Cork 1908 30 Co-founds the Cork Dramatic Society Commissions a bronze bust of himself from the Cork-based sculptor Joseph Higgins 1909 31 Corkery’s first play, The Embers, is staged by the Cork Dramatic Society The Hermit and the King is staged by the Cork Dramatic Society Attends a summer course at the Gaelic League’s teachertraining college at Ballingeary, west Cork; while there forms a friendship with Terence MacSwiney Irish Cultural Context Irish Historical Events J.M. Synge, The Shadow of the Glen Sinn Féin founded by J.M. Synge, The Well of the Saints Arthur Griffith G.B. Shaw, Man and Superman Padraic Colum, The Land Jack B. Yeats, The Man from Aranmore D.P. Moran, The Philosophy of Irish Ireland Gaelic League opens teacher-training college at Ballingeary, Co. Cork J.M. Synge, The Playboy of the Western World; riots at Abbey Theatre production J.M. Synge, The Aran Islands Patrick Pearse, Íosagán agus Sgéalta Eile Irish Women’s Franchise League founded Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union founded Year Age Life 1910 32 The Onus of Ownership is staged by the Cork Dramatic Society Defends The Playboy of the Western World in a lecture to the Cork Literary and Scientific Society 1911 33 The Epilogue is staged by the Cork Dramatic Society 1912 34 Israel’s Incense (later revised as Fohnam the Sculptor) is staged by Cork Dramatic Society 1913 35 Transfers to St Patrick’s National School, Cork; amongst the students he teaches at this school are Michael O’Donovan (Frank O’Connor), the author, and Seamus Murphy, the sculptor 1914 1915 37 Delivers a lecture titled ‘The Hidden Ireland...