Douglas Hyde--a scholar, linguist, and lifelong promoter of Gaelic
culture and heritage--was elected the first President of the Republic of
Ireland in 1938. My American Journey provides a compelling firsthand
account of a little-known chapter from the early life of this seminal
Irish figure: the fundraising trip through the United States he
undertook on behalf of the Gaelic League in 1905-6. This collection of
journal and diary entries was originally published in the Irish language
in 1937 and is now presented for the first time in a bilingual edition,
complete with newly discovered archival material and extensive
illustrations. Hyde's work on this voyage was both culturally and
politically vital. The funds he raised contributed to the hiring and
training of Irish-language teachers and organizers who traveled across
Ireland spreading the Gaelic League message, helping to sustain a
cultural revolution which, in turn, gave rise to the political uprising
from which Irish sovereignty ultimately emerged. With a new foreword by
current Irish President Michael D. Higgins and punctuated with numerous
images, My American Journey sheds light on an important segment of the
life of one of Ireland's most underappreciated leaders.
