Gaelic Prose in the Irish Free State, 1922-1939 is a continuation of Philip O'Leary's previous path-breaking book on the prose literature of the Gaelic Revival. The period following the War of Independence and Civil War saw an outpouring of book-length works in Irish from the state publishing agency An Gum. The frequency and production of new plays, both original and translated, have never been approached since. O'Leary has investigated all of these works as well as journalism and manuscript material and discusses them in a lively and often humorous manner. The contributions of several writers known for their work in English, such as Liam O'Flaherty, Sean O'Faolain, and Frank O'Connor, who were either writing on occasion in Irish or engaging in debates within the Gaelic movement, emerge as important figures. With the publication of Gaelic Prose in the Irish Free State, 1922-1939, we have at last an authoritative and balanced account of this major but neglected aspect of the Irish cultural renaissance. This will be an essential reference book for anyone interested in Irish literature in the twentieth century.

O'Leary (Irish studies, Boston College) describes the revival of the Irish language in the years just following the revolution to the advent of the Second World War, a time when the dreams of the Gaelic Leaguers seemed to come true. The language became a mandatory study in schools, journals were printed and read, and radio programs offered readings and drama in Irish Gaelic. Even writers best known for their work in English came back to the language and its literary traditions from time to time. Yet the conflict within the various powers in the Free State were reflected in what, exactly, its people were to do with a language that for so long lived in the shadows. As a result those who intended to make it a part of the intellectual and everyday life of Ireland were at odds about how to succeed as well.
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