Cú Chulainn as a National Hero

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century nationalism was on the rise all around Europe. Ireland was no exception. It, however, creates an interesting situation because it was still part of the Commonwealth at the time. The Irish national identity was promoted by movements like the GAA and the Gaelic League, who eventually turned to a political agenda and according to some scholars helped make Irish Independence a possibility. This thesis will study signs of nationalism in two adaptations of the Irish national hero Cú Chulainn: The Coming of Cuculain (1894) by Standish O’Grady and Cuchulainn of Muirthemne (1902) by Lady Augusta Gregory. It will answer how these texts could be used by political movements. Furthermore, a great part of this thesis will focus on children’s literature since these works have been appropriated by children and have also been used for educational purposes. It will expand on the phenomenon of nationalism in children’s literature and on the discussion surrounding the definition of children’s literature in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The thesis will end with a close consideration of the signs of nationalism in both works and an explanation of strategies used by the writers when adapting these Early Irish stories. In short, this thesis will look at the works of O’Grady and Gregory in connection to politics, children’s literature and nationalism to show the different forces that influenced (children’s) literature in Ireland on the eve of Irish Independence.