Four Irish Rebel Plays

This work collects together for the first time, plays written by the well-known Irish nationalists Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, James Connolly and Terence MacSwiney. In the months before 1916 MacDonagh staged When the Dawn is Come , and Pearse staged The Master , both works were designed to persuade the Dublin populace to support the advanced nationalist cause. At the same time, MacSwiney staged his play The Revolutionist in order to win the support of Redmondite nationalists in Cork. At Liberty Hall, only three weeks before taking part in the armed revolt of 1916, Connolly staged Under Which Flag? to persuade socialists to join the rebellion. The plays offer important insights into the rebels’ political and military thinking. The introduction explains exactly how the plays influenced the Irish revolution between 1916 and 1921 and explores the theatrical influences that affected the rebels. The context of the plays original staging and subsequent influence both inside and outside the playhouse is also covered. The epilogue outlines the varying afterlives that the plays enjoyed once their authors were dead.