Irish Identity and the West of

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Since the fin de siècle, a conscious effort has been made to “save” Irish cultural heritage. And for many in the early twentieth century, what was left of Irish culture existed in the West of Ireland. J.M. Synge, perhaps more than any other Irish writer, evokes the West of Ireland as a "stronghold" of indigenous Celtic identity yet W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory both look to the West of Ireland as a source of inspiration for much of their writings as well. Since the Irish Literary Revival, artists have continued to produce works that seem to have a unique fascination with the West of Ireland. In focusing on the “pre-modern” and “primitive” side of the country, these artists tend to promote an idea of Irishness that centers on its ancient cultural heritage, particularly the Irish language and ancient mythology. In this course we will examine how Irishness is performed in various texts from the twentieth century. We will start with texts from the Irish Literary Revival and then explore texts by artists of Irish heritage to explore how emigration and a large diaspora population has impacted images of Irish identity. While some contemporary representations of Ireland present the country as a multicultural and modern space, the West of Ireland is still depicted as a site of a singular Irish identity. Our aim will be to question essentialized representations of Irishness and to bring attention to the complexities of Irish history and culture.