A piper leads an Irish Volunteers parade in Killarney, Co. Kerry.
Lady Gregory. SUMMARY
In this final chapter of the topic you have looked at a number of religious, educational and cultural developments that took place in the period 1870–1914. What should be clear to you is how the Catholic Church grew in influence during this time, while reforms in education gave the Irish people, particularly Catholics, the opportunity for social advancement.
New cultural nationalist organisations such as the GAA and the Gaelic League were set up to reverse the decline in Ireland’s language and culture. These groups were sometimes overly political, but they did largely succeed in promoting Irish culture. This success was mirrored by writers such as W.B. Yeats and J.M. Synge, who began a new wave of distinctly Irish literature in the English language. The revival of Irish culture and language also fed into political developments, with many Irish nationalists pointing to Ireland’s distinct culture as a reason for seeking greater Irish independence.
