Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde, known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn, was an Irish academic, linguist, and scholar of the Irish languagewho served as the first President of Ireland from 1938-45. He was a leading figure in the Gaelic revival, and first president of the Gaelic League, one of the most influential cultural organisations in Ireland at the time...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionWorld Leader
Date of Birth17 January 1860
CountryIreland
above character englishmen excellent habits imitated noble qualities turn
Englishmen have very noble and excellent qualities which I should like to see imitated here, but I should not like to imitate them in everything. I like our own habits and character better, they are more consonant to my nature; I like our own turn of thought, our own characteristics, and above all I like our own language.
attached graceful legend lonely strange tree valley
Every crag and gnarled tree and lonely valley has its own strange and graceful legend attached to it.
alive barrier community keeping language number small spoken
We are told that the keeping alive a language spoken by so small a number of the community is a barrier to progress.
bring educate ireland national students together university
What we want in Ireland is a National University which will bring students together and educate them upon national lines.
advantage advocate brings help material money neither nor
What I advocate brings with it no substantial or material advantage at all. It will neither make money nor help to make money.
wish language share
I do not share the wish to see my language dead and decently buried
heart light world
By Anglicising ourselves we have thrown away with a light heart the best claim we have upon the world's recognition of us as a seperate nationality...the notes of nationality, our language and customs.
educational passing-away culture
As our language wanes and dies, the golden legends of the far-off centuries fade and pass away. No one sees their influence upon culture; no one sees their educational power.
people complaining use
Youth is a period of idealism. The Communists attract young people by appealing directly to that idealism. Too often, others have failed either to appeal to it or to use it and they are the losers as a consequence. We have no cause to complain if, having neglected the idealism of youth, we see others come along, take it, and harness it to their cause - and against our own.
character helping celtic
I - and there are hundreds of thousands of Irishmen who felt on this subject as I do - have always liked my Celtic countrymen and disliked the English nation; it is a national trait of character, and I cannot help it.
tree legends strange
Every craggy and gnarled tree has its own strange and graceful legend attached to it.
way language shame
It is a most disgraceful shame the way in which Irishmen are brought up. They are ashamed of their language, institutions, and of everything Irish.
powerful moving passion
The Gaelic League is founded not upon hatred of England, but upon love of Ireland. Hatred is a negative passion; it is powerful - a very powerful destroyer; but it is useless for building up. Love, on the other hand, is like faith; it can move mountains, and faith, we have mountains to move.
above beyond except nobody offending parties
We are above and beyond all politics, all parties and all factions; offending nobody - except the anti-Irishman.