F ORE WORD ’ m s ar i oems a a s and o -s n s ar r E b d c p , b ll d f lk o g c y r v r r her sto y back to the Christiandawnand e enea lie . They are history with the added charmof a personal a r o ac a ot o i anna s note, th ill f tu lity, n to be f und n l a ron s e s n the o es n ears of the nd ch icle . Th y i g h p a d f e e i e c mns e a na e en p opl n pi mo e t of th ir ntio l lif . Wh we r a h s or onar w s ma e ina f ar e d t e t y of Cl t f, e y p thiz a w s r c e But who off w y ith the is ues the e de id d . among us feels the loss of Bri an as did his fr iend a t o f t a monarc M c Liag, he p et ? He wrote o he de d h as anaide de camp might h ave writtenof Washing to as r or Rob n, Rudya d Kipling has wr ittenof L d r s s o na v a es ou and e t . Thi p etic rrati e of b ttl f ght wonis a goldencommentary extending throughout the w o course of r s or I man cases h le I i h hist y . n y the poets were participants of the scenes they de ’ s c ribed ; for it was the bar d s duty to accompany his prince on the field of battle and incite himto ’ d ee s of a or The son a o h ell d v l . gs b ut Hug O Donn and Patrick Sar sfield wer e sung by menwhose for tunes were bound up with those of their leaders . Mus c was ma e to serve t se same e an th i d he lf nd, d e wo o ra onis as s n ma T s t f ld t diti vivid a it is i ti te. hi t r adition enables us to appreciate the true inwar d ness of Irish hi story ina way that the tomes of the nn st u er ai to do a ali tt ly f l . vi FOREWORD ’ Fromthe cradle to the grave the Irishmans life is set to mus c ins w h the ll s na i . It beg it lu abie of i f ncy ; eenn end en th s r a s the k i g s it, wh e pi it le ve body. Wor k has its songs as well as play ; there are love son s and d nes nd n e re the so s so ea g a c , a ev r a ng b u as enthe er is oe D urns to tiful wh lov p t. evotiont s n ns n ve s o g i ti cti ly ; so do joy and orrow, longing and des r . n o no o smal pai Nothi g s great, thing s l but the Irishmanmay put it into verse and enrich mo it with el dy. I ntelling this story the attempt is made to place inrelief everything that throws light onthe character of l—his m nr f e s a s is a e the Gae an e o lif , hi ide l , h ttitud wa a e s i c the to r d the supernatur l . Th pirit n whi h a n e ra r s N o r a n t sk is u dertak nis f nkly I i h. w iter t ki g the tr aditional English view of dominant r aces and su eo do us e o a En bj ect p ples could it j tic . F r ges g — land has tried to make Ireland English English in nr o The cus mEn s ins eec En s i e n. to , gli h p h, gli h ligi experiment has lasted sevencenturies ; yet the Irish are s ae to-da v r ore an almost a G lic y as e e . M th a a ma e r s me the na ers em th t, they h ve d I i h nof i v d th se es orman ar ns E a et a d en rers lv . N b o , liz b h n a v tu , ” ua er a ers r me n rons es all St rt Und t k , C o w llia I id , th s t ha ot ee for have come under e pell. If i d n b n ff r c re n e a u a resene a di e ene in ligio , Ir l nd wo ld h ve p t d ’ e E r ns to ern unit d front to ngland, and E i right gov s a h en ere her elf could not h ve beenwit held. Wh , th o n is ma e to rse ut on the nen n f re, refere ce d pe c i , i t tio s n o s but to raw is not to establish invidious di ti cti n, d s r attentionto the alienspirit of Engli h ule. FOREWORD vii I t was the words of anIrish servant girl that set the riter n n on i s o w thi ki g th s ubj ect. He was a b y th w s t m en. I t a he ti e of disturbances and coercion a s He s e the a ct . a k d girl wh t it was the Irish people ” w aned e an to r nsw d t Th y w t be f ee, she a ere . E very English lad is brought up to believe that Eng lan is the me i er an t a w r th o d ho of l b ty d h t, he e e Uni n Jac es s a er ann e is Ye re s an k fli , l v y c ot x t. t he wa r sh r a n r s I i gi l, palp bly si ce e, who aid Ireland was not ’ ree. Her or s la i the r r rm f w d y n w ite s hear t, ge i u s ted and bore fruit inthe belief inIreland for the r s ere is no n i I i h . Th thi g nthis attitude of mind dis ’ loyal to E ngland s best self ; for true love of father lan nnt rest onthe s a er d ca o l v y of others. The more the songs of Ireland are understood the s or e e the n n w ic m t y th y t ll, co ditio s h h gave the b r the na ure ae c ms and the mnner i th, t —of G li u ic a of its preservation the better the Irish genius will be a rec a ed an r m re a n s r n s s m pp i t , d f o app ci tio p i g y a h ch is th m er e f u inss p t y, whi e oth of h lp l kindl e . The a t r i s the n pl nof he wo k s imple. I n openi g c hapter it is shownhow music and song formed an — organic part of the most ancient Iri sh civilization a c ivilizationwhich long antedates the Anglo-Norman as n the twe t c ur is a e inv io of lf h ent y. It thenexpl ind how this traditionwas kept alive through long ages the ar s m s re s nd a s a r ree by b d , int l a h rper . Ch pte th dwells onthe extraordinary fact of the preservation r r of Irish music independent of any w itten ecord. The nature of Irish music is the theme of chapter s of e art ed f our, and a descriptionf ollow th p play by FOREWORD the e e a r o song inthe daily life of p opl . F i y myth logy and spirit lore and the tales of the R ed Branch and the Fianna lead natur ally to a discussionof the more s o a s o T e s our strictly hi t ric spect of Iri h s ng. h la t f chapters are practically a history inverse and mel ody of the struggle of the Irish with the stranger fromthe field of Clontar f to the Dawning of the ” a v o Day of rel ti e freed m. ’ T r s n s a u to Dr r c . he write tha k re d e . Pat i k W o r u as f or e r n in J yce and D . Do gl Hyde th i ki dly terest and the permissionto use musical and poetic ’ e am es a n to Dr e i rs x pl .