Gaeltacht Minnesota

An Triail

During the winter "term", we'll be focusing most of our attention on the play An Triail, by Máiréad Ní Ghráda. This separate section of the site will allow you to quickly see what you have missed on any given night.

 

03/02/05

Playwright

Timeline | Themes.| Triail Start |Back to Will's Class

Máiréad Ní Ghráda

A brief biography, as Gaeilge, was provided on Feb. 14. We'll look at that a little more on the 7th of March..

Timeline

Year
Events

1896

  • born in Co. Clare, Cill Mháille (23rd December). Father Séamus Ó Gráda is a fluent speaker, who can recite vast tracts of Cúirt an Mheán Oíche, among other things

1913

  • entered the Convent of Mercy school at Ennis

1918

  • receives BA (Irish and French) from UCD

1919

  • Completes M.A. (Gaeilge) thesis, "Satire in Irish", under Douglas Hyde

1920

  • Jailed for selling republican flags (Gaelic League)

1921

  • Becomes secretary to Ernest Bythe (Earnán de Blaghd), minister in the Free State government (till 1923)

1923

  • Married Richard Kissane (Ristéard Ó Ciosáin) a senior garda. (Two sons)
  • Helps found An Comhar Drámaíochta to promote Irish language theatre

1926

  • Gets post with 2RN (first national Irish radio service), compiling children’s programs. (according to the 1926 census, 94 percent of married Irish women worked in the home). Very innovative programmer.

1929

  • Becomes principal announcer of 2RN. (Goes part time in 1935)

1931

  • Micheál MacLiammóir produces An Uacht at his Gate Theatre in Dublin comedy about someone faking his death to see what his relatives want from him
  • (? Date approximate) Begins working for Brún ‘s Ó Nuallán (Browne and Nolan), turning out teaching and school texts — including Progress in Irish — for the next 30 years

1935

  • de Valera reinstates formerly barred male civil servants including her husband, she has to resign from 2RN — the issue isn’t women, it is married vs. single

1937

  • An Grá agus an Gárda produced at the Peacock complex marital situation comedy

1938

  • Tír na Deo: Peter Pan as Gaeilge

1939

  • An Bheirt Deartháir agus scéalta eile.
  • An Uacht goes into its fourth reprintStories of independence & civil war

1940

  • Manannán, science fiction novel for kids

1942

  • An Comhar Drámaíochta merges with the Abbey, and she starts writing for them. Blythe again. In 50s, short one-acts after English influence her style

1964

  • An Triail produced in Dublin ( 22 Meán Fómhair) scandalous, in contest review, mixed reactions — Maude a big part, London Times loved it, even if the reviewer knew no Irish: now part of the leaving cert

1968

  • Breithiúnas, her last play, is produced. After his death, politician’s lies about civil war/uprising accomplishments are exposed

1971

  • Dies in Dublin (June 13th)

Themes

We talked about some interesting elements of her timeline. As we learn more about Ní Ghráda, look for these characteristics:

Finally, she doesn't so much defy expectations of her times as just march right past them. Very much a career woman, who raised two sons. Writing a play about the injustice of the treatment, by her community, of a young unwed mother -- when she herself is in her late 60s. Hired to put together children's programs on the radio, she becomes the first woman in the British Isles to be the lead announcer of a national radio service.

Works

There is a list of works in the front of the script, and it doesn't begin to cover her educational works.

But, there's something missing!

Had you heard of this writer before we started the play? There's one well-known book from her educational works that isn't mentioned in the list of her works.

If you can't guess what book I'm talking about, put your cursor here:

Any questions or comments, drop me an e-mail.