Irish cultural nationalism in the United Kingdom state: Politics and the Gaelic League 1900–18

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between cultural nationalism and political nationalism in early twentieth century Ireland has been interpreted in various ways. Here it is argued that the role played in politics by the principal cultural nationalist vehicle, the Gaelic League, was primarily that of a pressure group on education questions. The educational orientation of language revivalism made the League's interaction with churches as important as that between it and political parties. How nationalist and left wing parties related to the League during its "non‐political and non‐sectarian" period up to 1915 is analysed, as is the manner in which the League became party politicised during the First World War.