First published in Irish in 1937, this collection of journal and diary entries is a compelling first-hand account of Douglas Hyde's eight-month fundraising odyssey through the United States from 1905 to 1906. Published for the first time in a bilingual edition, complete with newly discovered archival material and extensive illustrations, this book navigates Hyde's thoughts on his journey in their original Irish, accompanied by a faithful English translation Hyde's work on this tour, undertaken on behalf of the Gaelic League, was both culturally and politically vital. The finance he raised contributed to the hiring and training of Irish-language teachers and organisers who travelled across Ireland spreading the Gaelic League message. These funds sustained the cultural revolution, which, in turn, gave rise to the political uprising from which Irish sovereignty would ultimately flow. This collection is beautifully designed and colour illustrated with a wide selection of original images and hand-written postcards. With an introduction by President Michael D. Higgins, and punctuated with entertaining pen pictures of prominent figures in US history (including President Theodore Roosevelt), this study recounts an important part in the life of one of Ireland's most under-appreciated leaders and captures an Ireland on the very brink of seismic change.
Reviews
'This book seeks to address this paucity, and does so in an outstanding fashion. It recounts an important period in Douglas Hyde's life when he was at the pinnacle of his powers and captures an Ireland on the cusp of change, while bring Hyde's contributions to the revival and to the making of modern Ireland to a new audience.' Review by Bobbie Nolan, Studia Hibernica No. 48, 2022; 'Douglas Hyde's My American Journey is both a beautiful book and a profoundly important one ... My American Journey should take an honored place on the shelves of those interested in the connections between Ireland and Irish-America, and especially those with an interest in the Gaelic Revival and its distinct manifestation in the US as contrasted with (and in relationship to) its home base in Ireland. Most important, it will become a landmark in the burgeoning research lifting Douglas Hyde to the place he deserves in the historical consciousness'. Irish Literary Supplement, Spring 2021 ||| 'By the turn of the century, there were some 600 Gaelic League branches all over Ireland and up to 250,000 people taking language lessons. Hyde's league was reviving not just their heritage but their self-determination. This invaluable book gives you an insight into what drove him and how his efforts resonated across continents.' Cahir O'Doherty, Irish Central, December 2019. ||| 'Now UCD Press has produced this sumptuous edition of Hyde's My American Journey ... The present volume comprises the full Irish text and an English translation of it, and there is a fine introduction by Liam Mac Mathuna, professor emeritus of Irish at UCD.' Felix Larkin, Irish Catholic, January 2020



Book Information
ISBN 9781910820483
Author Liam Mac Mathuna
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint University College Dublin Press
Publisher University College Dublin Press