Douglas Hyde

This page is sponsored by Kevin & Lucy Flynn.
Douglas Hyde was born near Castlerea, Co. Roscommon on 17 January 1860. He was a son of Arthur Hyde, Church of Ireland clergyman and descendant of the Arthur Hyde from Berkshire, England. From 1867 Hyde lived at Portahard, near Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon. He was educated at home and spent most of his youth roaming the countryside in the company of his friend Johnny Lavin. He learned Irish from the local people and practiced it assiduously.

He went to Trinity College in 1880 but did not attend lectures for the first two years and preferred to study at home. He was a distinguished student and won many prizes including the gold medal for modern literature. He took a BA in 1884 and in1886 he went to Trinity to study law. He graduated with a doctorate in 1887. He contributed an essay, ‘A plea for the Irish language’, to the Dublin University Review in August 1886, arguing that while English was necessary, it was essential for national honour to preserve the Irish language.

Hyde’s life’s work was the study and preservation of the Irish language. He joined the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language and between 1879 and 1884 he published over a hundred pieces of Irish verse. He used the pen name "An Craoibhín Aoibhinn" (‘Delightful little branch’) by which he became known.

He went to Canada in 1881 and spent two years there. He married Lucy Cometina Kurtz in Liverpool in October 1893. They lived at Ratra House near Frenchpark. In July 1893 he became joint founder, with Eoin Mac Neill, of the Gaelic League (Connradh na Gaeilge).

When the office of President of Ireland was created under the Constitution of 1937, Hyde was unanimously selected and held the office until his term expired in 1945. He died in Dublin, on 12 July 1949. He was given a state funeral and a Church of Ireland service was held in St Patrick’s Cathedral. On 14 July his remains were taken by motorcade and he was buried in Portahard churchyard, beside his wife and family.

(Follow THIS LINK to see photographs of the Hyde monuments in Portahard & THIS LINK for the Ratra House page).

This is our current collection of Hyde books & ephemera, we welcome additions. Please contact us.

 

Above: 150th. Anniversary of the birth of Douglas Hyde. First day cover (left) and insert card (front and back). Click on insert to read text.

 

 

Left: Page from "The Collector" featuring the new stamp (click on image to enlarge). Stamp sheetlet of sixteen stamps and a used example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images are not to scale.

 

 

 

All images above are © An Post 2010. To buy this stamp or for further details please contact An Post Philatelic Sales at www.irishstamps.ie

 

A limited edition first-day cover from S&T Cachets especially for the Hyde commemoration.

(available from tohagan4@comcast.net).

 

 

 

 

"Douglas Hyde" by Gareth W. Dunleavy. Bucknell University Press - Irish Writers Series. 1974.

"The Young Douglas Hyde" by Dominic Daly. Rowman & Littlefield. New Jersey. 1974

Dr. Douglas Hyde Interpretative Centre Brochure (ca. 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two earlier brochures for the Interpretative Centre. (No dates).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Irishmen of To-Day - Douglas Hyde" by Diarmid O'Cobhthaigh. Maunsel & Co. Dublin. 1917. With newspaper insert from 17 January 1949 re Hyde's birth.

 

Proceedings of "Comhdháil an Chraoibhín" 1989 & 1991. Brendán Ó Conaire (Editor). *

 

 

* We need 1988, 1990 & 1992 proceedings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceedings of "Comhdháil an Chraoibhín" 1993 to 1996. Brendán Ó Conaire (Editor). *

A stamp from inside an Irish book says “Cirte Cuimneacáin An Craoibín Aoibinn” which translates as “Treasured keepsake of An Craoibín Aoibinn”.

 

"The Famine Lectures - Léachtaí an Ghorta" Brendán Ó Conaire (Editor). Proceedings of Comhdháil an Chraoibhín 1995 - 1997.

 

 

 

 

The ½ penny stamp and 2½ penny first-day-of-issue cover (left) for the Douglas Hyde commemorative stamp produced in 1943.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brochures for 2006, 2007 and 2008 Hyde Conferences. (There are also posters with the same themes).

"Douglas Hyde Here In Roscommon" by Risteard Ó Glaisne. Roscommon County Council. (No date).

"Douglas Hyde. A Maker of Modern Ireland" by J. E. & G. W. Dunleavy. University of California Press, Berkley.  1991.

Dr. Douglas Hyde Conference brochure 2002.

Brochure for 8th. Annual Hyde Summer school in 2003.

 

Left: ‎"La Semaine du Conteur Véridique - Sept contes populaires irlandais" Pr. Douglas Hyde (An Craoibhín). Translated by H. Huerre. Rennes 1937. ("True Story Week - Seven Popular Irish Tales" by Douglas Hyde??). In French.

 

 

 

Images are not to scale.

 

 

 

Far left: "Selected Plays of Douglas Hyde - with translations by Lady Gregory" Chosen and with an introduced by Gareth W. Dunleavy & Janet Egleson Dunleavy.  Irish Drama Selections 7. Colin Smythe Limited & The Catholic University of America Press. 1991.

 

 

If you have any further material belonging to Douglas Hyde that you do not require, please contact us.

 

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