Patrick Pearse: Collected Plays / Dramai an Phiarsaigh

by Pádraic Pearse, Eugene McNulty (Editor)

This complete edition of Patrick Pearse's extant plays (in English and Irish) also includes his most significant writings about the nature of theatre in early 20th century Ireland. These plays were highlights of the Cultural Revival and drew a who's who of literary and political figures to productions in St Enda's, the Abbey Theatre and Croke Park in the years preceding the 1916 Easter Rising. Each work is annotated and illustrated with contemporary photographs, and placed in its historical, social and political contexts. The editors make Pearse's plays readily available to those wishing to stage productions and also provide a complete reference source for those who seek a better understanding one of the iconic figures of the Easter Rising. The annotated plays and commentary provide fascinating insights into the cultural, imaginative, and intellectual life and times of a man who helped shape one of the defining moments in Irish history.

400 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2012

About the author

Pádraig Pearse (born Patrick Henry Pearse) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. He was declared "President of the Provisional Government" of the Irish Republic in one of the bulletins issued by the Rising's leaders, a status that was however disputed by others associated with the rebellion both then and subsequently. Following the collapse of the Rising and the execution of Pearse, along with his brother (Willie Pearse) and fourteen other leaders, Pearse came to be seen by many as the embodiment of the rebellion.