Language and identity amongst Irish migrants in London, Philadelphia and San Francisco, 1850-1920
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Date
26/06/2020Embargo end date
26/06/2021Author
Nolan, Bobbie
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Abstract
This thesis examines the Irish language in London, Philadelphia and San Francisco in
the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Exploring the ways in which Irish
speakers used and maintained their language in the diaspora between the years 1850
and 1920, this thesis argues that the language transformed from being a component of
a private, personal identity to a public expression of an Irish diasporic identity. While
the imperial context of London and the republican contexts of Philadelphia and San
Francisco presented specific circumstances and opportunities for the use and
maintenance of the Irish language, the sociolinguistic situation in Ireland directly
impacted the language’s development overseas.
The focus of this thesis is on the continued use of the Irish language as a vernacular in
the period 1850-1880 and the structures which allowed this, however, this thesis also
examines the impact of the Gaelic Revival movement on the language and its role in
Irish cultural identity. It explores the ways in which different urban environments
affected the survival of the language, as well as the genesis, development and
outcomes of the revival. Using comparison, this thesis locates the Irish language in
three cities which have previously been overlooked in the history of the Irish language
abroad and identifies the transnational links between Ireland, London, Philadelphia
and San Francisco. Examining these Irish communities over a seventy-year period and
incorporating both the pre-revival and revival periods allows for the exploration of this
minority language over time, addressing the changing role of the language within each
city.
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