The GAA, Anglo Irish Literacy Revival Flashcards
following an extended period of British occupation, what had Irish culture faced the effects of?
anglicisation
by the late 1800, what had reduced significantly?
the number of Irish language speakers
what had diminished by the late 1800s?
the prevalence and popularity of Irish art
what did the GAA experience?
a period of decline
what was the reduced engagement with Irish culture partly caused by?
-the ‘Great Potato Famine’ of the 1840s
-the subsequent ‘Irish Diaspora’
what did the British Government attempt to do at the expense of Irish heritage?
encourage British culture
what did several nationalist figures within Irish politics at the time speak of?
Douglas Hyde spoke of “the necessity for de-Anglicising Ireland” in order to maintain the nations “cultural sovereignty”
what began the revitalisation of Irish culture?
nationalist organisations such as the GAA, Gaelic league and Anglo Irish Literary Revival
During the 1880s, what were less popular than British competitors like football, cricket or rugby?
Irish sports such as Gaelic Football and hurling
what was the primary reason for the British games being more popular?
they were better organised
what did the British games have that their Irish counterparts did not?
They had clear, standardised rules set by governing bodies
what did the Gaelic games not have?
no unified ruleset
what were Gaelic games not permitted to do?
Gaelic football and hurling games weren’t permitted to be held on Sundays
why were Gaelic football and hurling games not permitted to be held on Sundays?
as this was seen as sacreligious
what did Gaelic games being banned on Sundays mean?
farmers, who traditionally worked from Monday to Saturday, had no opportunity to play these sports
why was farmers not being allowed to play Gaelic games on sundays significant?
the majority of Irish workers were in the agriculture sector, this massively reduced the potential playing pool
when did British sports clubs host their matches?
on Sundays
how did the Archbishop of Croke refer to the Gaelic Games as?
“not only dead and buried, but in several localities…entirely forgotten and unknown”
who was unsatisfied with the decline of the Irish games?
Michael Cusack
who did Michael Cusack decide to partner with?
famous Irish sportsman, Maurice Davin
how did Davin and Cusack set about reforming Irish sports in 1884?
by establishing a central governing bod
what did both Davin and cusack believe the Irish people should do?
“take the management of their games into their own hands” and “remove with one sweep everything foreign and iniquitous in the present system”
Cusack and Davin established the Gaelic Association of Ireland to do what:
to ensure the “preservation and cultivation of our national pastimes”
what did the GAA do?
it centralised the rulesets for both Gaelic football and hurling in 1885, providing clarity within matches