Douglas Hyde: My American Journey

First published in Irish in 1937, this collection of journal and diary entries is a compelling first-hand account of Douglas Hyde’s eight-month fundraising odyssey through the United States from 1905 to 1906. Published for the first time in a bilingual edition, complete with newly discovered archival material and extensive illustrations, this book navigates Hyde’s thoughts on his journey in their original Irish, accompanied by a faithful English translation Hyde’s work on this tour, undertaken on behalf of the Gaelic League, was both culturally and politically vital. The finance he raised contributed to the hiring and training of Irish-language teachers and organisers who travelled across Ireland spreading the Gaelic League message. These funds sustained the cultural revolution, which, in turn, gave rise to the political uprising from which Irish sovereignty would ultimately flow.
This collection is beautifully designed and colour illustrated with a wide selection of original images and hand-written postcards. With an introduction by President Michael D. Higgins, and punctuated with entertaining pen pictures of prominent figures in US history (including President Theodore Roosevelt), this study recounts an important part in the life of one of Ireland’s most under-appreciated leaders and captures an Ireland on the very brink of seismic change.