'We went on giving what we thought good until it became
popular.' LADY GREGORY.

'Literature must take the responsibility of its power and keep
all its freedom.' W. B. YEATS.

THE HISTORY of the Irish Dramatic Movement is well known
and it has been well told by the original leaders and founders.
Lady Gregory and W. B. Yeats both wrote accounts of various
parts of it and George Moore contributed surprisingly full
description of certain episodes, though his impression of events
does not necessarily tally with theirs. Yet a brief account of
the main course must be given again here, if only to show the
nature of the conflict stirred up by it and the small, half-casual,
half-heroic beginnings it had.

W. B. Yeats founded the Irish Literary Society in London
in 1891 ²
and the National Literary Society in Dublin in 1892.
This was followed in 1893 by the Gaelic League (founded by
Dr. Hyde and other Gaelic scholars) and in January 1899 by
the Irish Literary Theatre. In the interval between 1892 and
1899 Yeats had discussed with many people the possibilities
of finding a small theatre in London or Dublin, with Florence
Farr, with George Moore, with Edward Martyn and, finally
and fruitfully, with that fine, practical genius, Augusta, Lady
Gregory ³ Things seemed to grow possible as we talked,'

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