Samenvatting

The topic of the Irish Literary Revival has been a popular one for many decades. In this study the subject is approached from the perspective of the writers. What were they trying to achieve: were they after political gain in a struggle towards a free and independent Ireland or were they an elite group which merely rejoiced in the art of writing about nostalgic themes and forgotten lore? And how did they succeed, did they achieve their goals? A literary research through different studies, books and articles as well as an analysis of some of the works of the protagonists yields the explanation that the writers of the Irish Literary Revival believed that art and politics were intrinsically linked; they educated readers about Irish cultural history and they used their writing to express their attitudes toward Irish politics. These findings add nuance to our understanding of what the Irish Literary Revival entails and they will contribute to future research on the topic.