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Cathleen ni Houlihan
THIS 20 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Representative British Dramas Victorian and Modern V2, by William Butler Yeats.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1902
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About the author
W.B. Yeats
2,039 books2,571 followersWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was the first Irishman so honored. Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
April 16, 2020
Cathleen ni Houlihan is a kind of miracle. It is not deep, it is not elevated by any great poetry, or made memorable by any vivid character or absorbing plot. Yet this one-act play, in its simple prose and folk-tale purity, not only expresses ardently the nationalistic aspirations of the Irish people, but does so without the self-satisfied triumphalism which habitually blights such patriotic works.
Set in the days of the 1798 rebellion, when the French were about to land on the West Coast, the play takes place in the Gillane family cottage where preparations are underway for the wedding of their son Michael. Into this family setting comes a “poor old woman” who tells them how she has been deprived of her four beautiful green fields and is looking for brave young men to help her regain them. Little do the Gillanes know that this woman Cathleen ni Houlihan is the spirit of the Irish people, determined to reclaim the four provinces of Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Her visit, however, has touched them all, and as the young men abandon the wedding to go fight for Ireland, we are told that the old woman has been transformed, that she is young and beautiful and walking like a queen.
Here are the last words the old woman utters before she leaves the Gillane cottage:
It is a hard service they take that help me. Many that are red-cheeked now will be pale-cheeked; many that have been free to walk the hills and the bogs and the rushes will be sent to walk hard streets in far countries; many a good plan will be broken; many that have gathered money will not stay to spend it; many a child will be born, and there will be no father at its christening to give it a name. They that had red cheeks will have pale cheeks for my sake; and for all that, they will think they are well paid.
October 23, 2022
jeg elsker jo enhver personifikation af martyrånden og den irske nationalisme er ingen undtagelse
Read
March 28, 2019Read for class.
October 29, 2023
Although the story is rather simple
And the metaphor is clear as day
For Irish independence
It is still an important play
I feel that his reflections on this play in his poem ‘the Man and the Echo’ add so much more debt to the play itself. It’s interesting to see him, in the play, encourage his countrymen to die for their country, knowing that he later seemed to regret, or at least question, the impact of the play.
“I lie awake night after night
And never get the answers right.
Did that play of mine send out
Certain men the English shot?”
And the metaphor is clear as day
For Irish independence
It is still an important play
I feel that his reflections on this play in his poem ‘the Man and the Echo’ add so much more debt to the play itself. It’s interesting to see him, in the play, encourage his countrymen to die for their country, knowing that he later seemed to regret, or at least question, the impact of the play.
“I lie awake night after night
And never get the answers right.
Did that play of mine send out
Certain men the English shot?”
March 11, 2015
You can see my review over at The Literary Sisters as well.
The first book I decided to review for the Reading Ireland Month is none other than W.B. Yeats' play 'Cathleen Ni Houlihan'. Written in 1902 and performed in April of the same year in Dublin, it is a play of great symbolic and historic significance for Ireland and the turbulent period it refers to.
'Cathleen Ni Houlihan' is set in an Irish village during the Rebellion of 1798 against the British and it follows a critical moment in the lives of a peasant family, whose eldest son, Michael, is soon to get married. The play opens with his parents discussing about the dowry his son is to receive from the bride's family and they seem to be rather concerned about their financial state, indicating their (and especially the mother's) preoccupation with material things more than anything else. While having this conversation, sounds of war and battle reach their ears, but they pay no particular attention to them, with the exception of a brief comment.
All of a sudden, an old and rather mysterious woman appears at their door asking for help. However, it is not food or money that she seeks but the men's help, and especially Michael's, to get her house back. The family doesn't seem to recognise the woman, since her manner of speaking is more confusing rather than helpful. The old woman proves to be none other than Cathleen Ni Houlihan, a mythological figure in Irish folklore who is said to represent Ireland herself.
Yeats is well known for his fascination by folklore and mythology and his deeply rooted nationalism as well. Therefore, it is no surprise that he chose to write a play about such an important figure of the Irish tradition. Cathleen Ni Houlihan has appeared in quite a few literary works and pieces of art as a symbol for Ireland and she is always depicted as a woman trying to recruit men who are willing to fight for her liberty. Many have said that this play is political and propagandistic, but Yeats himself has denied any such intentions while writing and producing it. As he had stated once, he prefered distinguishing between politics and art and didn't want to let one interfere with the other in such a manner as to be considered a propaganda of sorts.
Yeats co-wrote this play with Lady Gregory. In a letter he wrote to her in 1903 he wrote of the play:
"One night I had a dream almost as distinct as a vision, of a cottage where there was well-being and firelight and talk of marriage, and into the midst of that cottage there came an old woman in a long cloak. She was Ireland herself, that Cathleen ni Houlihan for whom so many songs have been sung and about whom so many stories have been told and for whose sake so many have gone to their death. I thought if I could write this out as a little play I could make others see my dream as I had seen it, but I could not get down out of that high window of dramatic verse, and in spite of all you had done for me I had not the country speech. One has to live among the people, like you..."
'Cathleen Ni Houlihan' is a short, one-act play full of symbolism. I think it depicts quite accurately what the lives of the people belonging to the lower classes were like in the Irish villages at the time of the rebellion. It tackles important themes, such as duty, family, finance and, of course, nationalistic pride, an element which permeats this play. Yeats believed in the purity of the Irish people, in the image of the honest and intellectual peasant, who cared more about abstract things like duty towards the country rather than about material things like money. This is why, through this play, Yeats also manages to pass his critique on the so-called 'corruption' of the Irish purity as he perceived it.
It is undoubtedly an enjoyable play that evokes some thoughts while reading it and makes you think about what is morally right or wrong. I believe it is a play of great importance for the Irish literary culture, since it contains so many elements and information about it. I would like to also watch it one day, so as to get a full picture of it.
The first book I decided to review for the Reading Ireland Month is none other than W.B. Yeats' play 'Cathleen Ni Houlihan'. Written in 1902 and performed in April of the same year in Dublin, it is a play of great symbolic and historic significance for Ireland and the turbulent period it refers to.
'Cathleen Ni Houlihan' is set in an Irish village during the Rebellion of 1798 against the British and it follows a critical moment in the lives of a peasant family, whose eldest son, Michael, is soon to get married. The play opens with his parents discussing about the dowry his son is to receive from the bride's family and they seem to be rather concerned about their financial state, indicating their (and especially the mother's) preoccupation with material things more than anything else. While having this conversation, sounds of war and battle reach their ears, but they pay no particular attention to them, with the exception of a brief comment.
All of a sudden, an old and rather mysterious woman appears at their door asking for help. However, it is not food or money that she seeks but the men's help, and especially Michael's, to get her house back. The family doesn't seem to recognise the woman, since her manner of speaking is more confusing rather than helpful. The old woman proves to be none other than Cathleen Ni Houlihan, a mythological figure in Irish folklore who is said to represent Ireland herself.
Yeats is well known for his fascination by folklore and mythology and his deeply rooted nationalism as well. Therefore, it is no surprise that he chose to write a play about such an important figure of the Irish tradition. Cathleen Ni Houlihan has appeared in quite a few literary works and pieces of art as a symbol for Ireland and she is always depicted as a woman trying to recruit men who are willing to fight for her liberty. Many have said that this play is political and propagandistic, but Yeats himself has denied any such intentions while writing and producing it. As he had stated once, he prefered distinguishing between politics and art and didn't want to let one interfere with the other in such a manner as to be considered a propaganda of sorts.
Yeats co-wrote this play with Lady Gregory. In a letter he wrote to her in 1903 he wrote of the play:
"One night I had a dream almost as distinct as a vision, of a cottage where there was well-being and firelight and talk of marriage, and into the midst of that cottage there came an old woman in a long cloak. She was Ireland herself, that Cathleen ni Houlihan for whom so many songs have been sung and about whom so many stories have been told and for whose sake so many have gone to their death. I thought if I could write this out as a little play I could make others see my dream as I had seen it, but I could not get down out of that high window of dramatic verse, and in spite of all you had done for me I had not the country speech. One has to live among the people, like you..."
'Cathleen Ni Houlihan' is a short, one-act play full of symbolism. I think it depicts quite accurately what the lives of the people belonging to the lower classes were like in the Irish villages at the time of the rebellion. It tackles important themes, such as duty, family, finance and, of course, nationalistic pride, an element which permeats this play. Yeats believed in the purity of the Irish people, in the image of the honest and intellectual peasant, who cared more about abstract things like duty towards the country rather than about material things like money. This is why, through this play, Yeats also manages to pass his critique on the so-called 'corruption' of the Irish purity as he perceived it.
It is undoubtedly an enjoyable play that evokes some thoughts while reading it and makes you think about what is morally right or wrong. I believe it is a play of great importance for the Irish literary culture, since it contains so many elements and information about it. I would like to also watch it one day, so as to get a full picture of it.
October 22, 2020
"Did that play of mine send out /
Certain men the English shot?"
- Yeats, "Man and the Echo," 1938 (shortly before his death).
"I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, forward to the second edition of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Certain men the English shot?"
- Yeats, "Man and the Echo," 1938 (shortly before his death).
"I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, forward to the second edition of The Fellowship of the Ring.
January 24, 2016
W. B. Yeats è uno dei miei poeti preferiti, senza dubbio. Ora posso dire di apprezzare anche la sua vena teatrale, e molto.
Questo atto unico è struggente nella sua brevità, un concentrato di battute poetiche, che donano al testo teatrale qualcosa di magico. La Old Woman eponima sarà anche una figura propria del folklore irlandese, ma quel che succede nell'opera, chi e come sono i personaggi, i sentimenti sottostanti alle songs, tutto può essere compreso e condiviso.
(Ora vorrei solo poterla vedere messa in scena a teatro...)
Questo atto unico è struggente nella sua brevità, un concentrato di battute poetiche, che donano al testo teatrale qualcosa di magico. La Old Woman eponima sarà anche una figura propria del folklore irlandese, ma quel che succede nell'opera, chi e come sono i personaggi, i sentimenti sottostanti alle songs, tutto può essere compreso e condiviso.
(Ora vorrei solo poterla vedere messa in scena a teatro...)
February 1, 2018
As it was my first Irish play, I’m glad to say that I loved it. I could easily understand the references, so it was a really nice read. I had to read it for one of my classes, it’s called Changing Ireland and as a French student, it is nice to expand my knowledge on Irish civilization and literature.
August 4, 2019
“He died for love of me: many a man has died for love of me.”
September 2, 2019
OLD WOMAN. I have my thoughts and I have my hopes.
MICHAEL. What hopes have you to hold to?
OLD WOMAN. The hope of getting my beautiful fields back again; the hope of putting the
strangers out of my house.
I would never believe such a short play could be so striking...
The reason why I found this play so impressive might be due to the fact that I have been reading and dwelling on a lot about The Easter Rising and Irish history recently; however, the quoted part above got me ruminate upon the past once more. William Butler Yeats was indeed a genious; writing very precise yet being able to leave you speechless. In my opinion Irish history should be studied more considering the effort put into Irish literature to revive traditions and language of the ''green fields'' by fellow Irish authors.
MICHAEL. What hopes have you to hold to?
OLD WOMAN. The hope of getting my beautiful fields back again; the hope of putting the
strangers out of my house.
I would never believe such a short play could be so striking...
The reason why I found this play so impressive might be due to the fact that I have been reading and dwelling on a lot about The Easter Rising and Irish history recently; however, the quoted part above got me ruminate upon the past once more. William Butler Yeats was indeed a genious; writing very precise yet being able to leave you speechless. In my opinion Irish history should be studied more considering the effort put into Irish literature to revive traditions and language of the ''green fields'' by fellow Irish authors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2018
This play (written by Lady Gregory and attributed to Yeats) is an intriguing cornerstone of the Abbey Theatre and Modern Irish Drama - its idealised vision of Irish rebellion through blood sacrifice was certainly admired and well-received when it was first produced, but over a hundred years later, with a history education mostly valorising the countless rebellions and risings of days past, I see it as dangerous and unsettling. The sean bean bocht is honestly creepy , her somnambulant preoccupation with death and the deaths of young men faintly horrifying. One wonders if its tragic undertones were so clearly intended.
May 23, 2007
I read this while putting together an exhibit on Irish Literature relating to the 1916 Easter Rising for my Rare Books seminar last semester. It's a tiny play, but really good. It's exactly what I want out of Irish literature - nationalistic, proud, sad, and poignant. Plus, Maud Gonne played Cathleen when it first opened, and I just love the whole unrequited love thing Yeats had with her.
September 13, 2015
An outstanding play with some particularly poignant messages about patriotism, war, and national identity. All fans of literature should read this at least once.
September 30, 2017
4'5/5.
A very short and beautiful one-act play that represents the sacrifices of those who fought for (mother) Ireland.
A very short and beautiful one-act play that represents the sacrifices of those who fought for (mother) Ireland.
Read
December 24, 2019Young man sacrifices himself for Ireland
Very political play. I like it
Very political play. I like it
April 20, 2020
"Sometimes my feet are tired and my hands are quiet, but there is no quiet in my heart. "
Ho i brividi. Questa è la storia della libertà.
June 8, 2025
This play by Yeats and Lady Gregory is a thinly disguised Irish nationalist play, in which an old woman who gives her name as Cathleen ni Houlihan, visits the family of Michael, a young man about to be married. Peter and Bridget, the parents, are extremely pleased with the match because they're getting one hundred pounds from the bride's family, which will go a long way towards relieving their poverty. However, Cathleen--a symbol of Irish nationalism and independence--tells Michael that many men have fought for her, and that in order for her to reclaim her four green fields (the four traditional provinces of Ireland) and to get the strangers (i.e., the British) out of her house (i.e., Ireland) it will require many more to take up her cause. Michael is enthralled by Cathleen, abandoning his marriage to participate in the ultimately unsuccessful 1798 rebellion.
In the play, Cathleen is presented as an aged beggar woman, seeking the restitution of the land and property of which she's been deprived. But at the end, Patrick (Michael's younger brother) says that instead of an old woman walking towards the rebels, he sees "a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen." Her suffering is a pathos appeal to both patriotism and a sense of justice for Ireland's suffering under British rule. Michael, for his part, is presented as an idealized Irish patriot, who gives up his (and his family's) comfort, prosperity, and safety to go and participate in a rebellion, which audiences in 1902 would know was doomed. He sacrifices himself (whether he survives the rebellion or not) to the cause of Irish freedom, and it is the sacrifice in itself--rather than the success--that is glorified.
https://youtu.be/y0eIV1e3xtA
In the play, Cathleen is presented as an aged beggar woman, seeking the restitution of the land and property of which she's been deprived. But at the end, Patrick (Michael's younger brother) says that instead of an old woman walking towards the rebels, he sees "a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen." Her suffering is a pathos appeal to both patriotism and a sense of justice for Ireland's suffering under British rule. Michael, for his part, is presented as an idealized Irish patriot, who gives up his (and his family's) comfort, prosperity, and safety to go and participate in a rebellion, which audiences in 1902 would know was doomed. He sacrifices himself (whether he survives the rebellion or not) to the cause of Irish freedom, and it is the sacrifice in itself--rather than the success--that is glorified.
https://youtu.be/y0eIV1e3xtA
February 10, 2022
“The hope of getting my beautiful fields back again; the hope of putting the strangers out of my house.”
was a very quick read and an interesting take on irish nationalism and how cathleen represents ireland itself. uhh symbolism!!!! there’s not really a whole lot to discuss here since the show is so straight forward with its symbolism and metaphors but i enjoyed it.
was a very quick read and an interesting take on irish nationalism and how cathleen represents ireland itself. uhh symbolism!!!! there’s not really a whole lot to discuss here since the show is so straight forward with its symbolism and metaphors but i enjoyed it.
February 16, 2023
i got to play the old woman in our class reading and that was literally so much fun. i can see why this play was blamed for uprising, i feel nationalist af reading it and i’m not even irish
October 19, 2025
I liked the personification of the Irish spirit transforming from an old woman to a young queen ✊🏼
May 17, 2024
even my literature professor says that this is bad
April 14, 2016
Não costumo ser um leitor avido de teatro. Foi a minha primeira experiência com Yeats e algo escrito sobre a Irlanda. Tenho a dizer que não foi má de todo. Gostei de todo o misticismo à volta da Poor Old Woman. Possivelmente não entendi referências culturais relativas à Irlanda.
Relativamente às personagens tenho a dizer apenas o Peter e a Bridget se revelaram personagens que não vão de acordo com as minhas éticas. Já que o filho [Michael] iria casar, seus pais decidiram sucumbir ao oportunismo e ao desejo pela riqueza. Talvez seja uma interpretação errada, mas foi o que senti. Não sou um especialista em interpretação mas digo sempre o que um livro me transmite.
-----------------------------------
Favorite Quote
'I did not, but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen'
Relativamente às personagens tenho a dizer apenas o Peter e a Bridget se revelaram personagens que não vão de acordo com as minhas éticas. Já que o filho [Michael] iria casar, seus pais decidiram sucumbir ao oportunismo e ao desejo pela riqueza. Talvez seja uma interpretação errada, mas foi o que senti. Não sou um especialista em interpretação mas digo sempre o que um livro me transmite.
-----------------------------------
Favorite Quote
'I did not, but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen'
October 26, 2011
Sometimes I forget how multifaceted Yeats is. I also forget how sinister some of his mysticism can be.
This short play is based in 1798 in Ireland when the French arrived to help the Irish with their rebellion. Cathleen Ni Houlihan is a mystical old woman who appears in the house of a family preparing for their son's marriage. By the end of the play Cathleen convinces Michael (the groom) to leave the house to meet the French.
Yeats' nationalism abounds in this play. I loved our class discussion about it as well. Interestingly enough, Maude Gonne played Cathleen in this play and influenced the ending of the play.
Good stuff.
This short play is based in 1798 in Ireland when the French arrived to help the Irish with their rebellion. Cathleen Ni Houlihan is a mystical old woman who appears in the house of a family preparing for their son's marriage. By the end of the play Cathleen convinces Michael (the groom) to leave the house to meet the French.
Yeats' nationalism abounds in this play. I loved our class discussion about it as well. Interestingly enough, Maude Gonne played Cathleen in this play and influenced the ending of the play.
Good stuff.
July 20, 2016
An old woman arrives at an Irish family's home as they are making preparations for the marriage of their oldest son. She tells the family her sad tale of Irish heroes who have given their lives for her. She ultimately lures the groom away to join the Irish rebellion of 1798.
This is very interesting from a historical standpoint. It helped spread Irish nationalism and may have contributed to the 1916 Easter Rising. I also found it interesting how Yeats and Lady Gregory used folklore in the play. Good for study of Irish nationalism.
This is very interesting from a historical standpoint. It helped spread Irish nationalism and may have contributed to the 1916 Easter Rising. I also found it interesting how Yeats and Lady Gregory used folklore in the play. Good for study of Irish nationalism.
February 26, 2020
Reading this felt fun, relaxed and easy. Yeats, being the talented wordsmith that he is, manages to capture the lilt of Western Irish dialogue perfectly. The musicality of the Mayo people is reflected wondrously in the dialogue of the play - I could hear the intended intonation of every word as I read, leaving me with feeling as though I had just swallowed ice-cold water: cool; crisp; refreshed. Moreover, Yeats' use of ballads and his implication of the supernatural feel very forest-nymph-like, mystifying the realm of Connaught in the late 1800s. It was short, sweet, and beautiful.
November 3, 2011
Can I possibly love Yeats more? Yes, because he was smart enough to work with Augusta Gregory! This play is gorgeous and, as Zan says, multi-faceted.
I love that they together created the new face for the spirit of Ireland. I love Henry Merritt's analysis which sees Cathleen as a vampire. Wow!
I love that they together created the new face for the spirit of Ireland. I love Henry Merritt's analysis which sees Cathleen as a vampire. Wow!
February 23, 2013
The battle cry for any Irish Revival artist/follower. Produces a love for Ireland and introduces Cathleen, the daughter of Houlihan who becomes the symbol for Ireland, herself. Moving, powerful and written for the Abbey Theatre.
April 12, 2008
anglo-irish lit (dublin)
senior thesis
April 2, 2009
Enjoyed it even though proper historical backgroud is needed to understand it
February 7, 2017
Fast, enjoyable read. The nationalism metaphor is a bit heavy-handed, but it was a great intro to Yeats.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews