77:
with cosy homesteads, whose fields and villages would be joyous with the sounds of industry, with the romping of sturdy children, the contest of athletic youths and the laughter of happy maidens, whose firesides would be forums for the wisdom of serene old age. The home, in short, of a people living the life that God desires that men should live. With the tidings that make such an
Ireland possible,
101:. We of this time, if we have the will and active enthusiasm, have the opportunity to inspire and move our generation in like manner. We can do so by keeping this thought of a noble future for our country constantly before our eyes, ever seeking in action to bring that future into being, and ever remembering that it is for our nation as a whole that future must be sought.
85:. It was the idea of such an Ireland - happy, vigorous, spiritual - that fired the imagination of our poets; that made successive generations of patriotic men give their lives to win religious and political liberty; and that will urge men in our own and future generations to die, if need be, so that these liberties may be preserved. One hundred years ago, the
129:
The 1943 speech in later years has been critiqued and often derided as archetypal of de Valera's traditionalist view of an isolationist, agricultural land where women held a traditional role. The phrase most commonly cited in this regard is the misquotation "comely maidens dancing at the crossroads".
76:
The ideal
Ireland that we would have, the Ireland that we dreamed of, would be the home of a people who valued material wealth only as a basis for right living, of a people who, satisfied with frugal comfort, devoted their leisure to the things of the spirit – a land whose countryside would be bright
142:'s painting called "Dancing At The Crossroads" was sold at auction to much media coverage, which may have contributed to the misunderstanding. There were multiple incidences of the misquote later this same year, usually in the context of how modern Ireland had changed from De Valera's vision.
202:
in 2018 suggests that its advocacy of "frugal comfort" was motivated by egalitarianism: "to ensure a minimum for everyone, the better off would have to accept a lower standard of living". Lee suggested de Valera's
207:
language" gave his vision an antiquated tone that hid the continuing relevance of much of its vision. Ferriter called it "the most famous broadcast by any Irish politician of the twentieth century".
81:
came to our ancestors fifteen hundred years ago promising happiness here no less than happiness hereafter. It was the pursuit of such an
Ireland that later made our country worthy to be called the
171:
and sent to the United States for later broadcast. It is unclear which wording was used during the live Radio Éireann broadcast, or whether the HMV recording was made then or later. A double
175:
of de Valera's speeches from the RTÉ archives, released in 1982 on the centenary of his birth, brought the "happy maidens" variant wording back to public notice.
134:, a rural tradition then dying out. The first incidence of the "dancing at the crossroads" line being misattributed to De Valera is in 1986 in the
89:, by holding up the vision of such an Ireland before the people, inspired and moved them spiritually as our people had hardly been moved since the
510:
567:
415:
582:
409:
310:
257:
597:
157:
Although the phrase was "comely maidens" in the prepared text sent in advance to the newspapers, printed in the following day's
474:
587:
541:
224:
138:- "it's all a long way from poor Dev's vision of comely maidens dancing at the crossroads" - this was the same year that
106:
82:
572:
592:
470:
114:
557:
577:
151:
280:
562:
139:
179:
41:
33:
452:
Murphy, Kevin (11 February 1986). "The McInerney
Collection Goes Under The Hammer for ÂŁ500,000".
68:. In the most frequently quoted passage of the speech, de Valera set out his vision of an ideal
25:
506:
500:
405:
306:
276:
253:
191:
183:
135:
399:
281:"His 'comely maidens' vision and attitude to women, the Irish Language and attitude to sport"
154:
was published in 1991, reinforcing the line as an avatar of traditional, Catholic
Ireland.
363:
245:
131:
110:
98:
90:
86:
199:
195:
105:
De Valera had made an annual radio speech on St
Patrick's Day since coming to power after
97:
similarly inspired and moved the people of their day. So, later, did the leaders of the
291:
65:
37:
551:
204:
94:
61:
53:
163:, and reprinted in Maurice Moynihan's 1980 anthology, it was "happy maidens" in the
395:
187:
437:
Fagan, Kieran (7 April 1986). "Respect, It Seems, Is The Last Thing Women Want".
300:
159:
78:
172:
147:
29:
367:
69:
350:. By David McCullagh. Pp vi, 536. Dublin: Gill Books. 2017. €24.99. —
354:. By David McCullagh. Pp vi, 528. Dublin: Gill Books. 2018. €24.99".
302:
Judging Dev: A Reassessment of the Life and Legacy of Eamon De Valera
164:
118:
244:
De Valera, Éamon (1980). "On
Language & the Irish Nation". In
52:. The speech marked the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the
168:
186:
argued for a reappraisal of the speech in the light of the
401:
Dancing at the
Crossroads: Memory and Mobility in Ireland
279:; Crowe, CatrĂona; Murphy, William (9 December 2007).
250:
Speeches and statements by Eamon De Valera: 1917–73
74:
113:was raging and the threat of German invasion (
194:revelations of corruption by 1980s Taoiseach
8:
524:
522:
465:
463:
341:
339:
109:. At the time the 1943 speech was made, the
390:
388:
386:
48:, a phrase which is used within it, or the
475:"Eamon De Valera and the 'Comely' Maidens"
93:. Fifty years later, the founders of the
24:was the title of a radio address made by
326:
225:""The Ireland That We Dreamed Of" 1943"
146:, a book about modern Ireland by then
130:The speech in fact made no mention of
542:“The Ireland That We Dreamed Of” 1943
16:1943 radio address by Éamon de Valera
7:
499:McCullagh, David (26 October 2018).
352:De Valera, volume 2: rule, 1932–1975
348:De Valera, volume 1: rise, 1882–1932
44:(17 March) 1943. It is often called
22:"On Language & the Irish Nation"
252:. Gill and Macmillan. p. 466.
14:
418:from the original on 26 June 2014
333:Ferriter 2007, pp.238, 286, 363–4
91:Golden Age of Irish civilisation
404:. Berghahn Books. p. 12.
46:The Ireland that we dreamed of
1:
231:. RTÉ archives. 17 March 1943
83:island of saints and scholars
346:Girvin, Brian (May 2020). "
117:) or British re-occupation (
568:March 1943 events in Europe
299:Ferriter, Diarmaid (2007).
229:Éamon de Valera (1882–1975)
190:consumption bubble and the
614:
502:De Valera; Rule: 1932–1975
505:. Gill & Macmillan.
356:Irish Historical Studies
144:Jiving At The Crossroads
598:Speeches by politicians
528:Ferriter 2007, pp.363–4
305:. Royal Irish Academy.
125:Legacy and misquotation
50:"comely maidens" speech
583:RTÉ Radio 1 programmes
103:
60:), a group promoting
588:Political manifestos
380:Ferriter 2007, p.308
368:10.1017/ihs.2020.10
398:(1 October 2008).
277:Ferriter, Diarmaid
58:Conradh na Gaeilge
593:Irish nationalism
512:978-0-7171-8406-4
454:Irish Independent
439:Irish Independent
246:Moynihan, Maurice
192:Moriarty Tribunal
184:Diarmaid Ferriter
167:disc recorded by
136:Irish Independent
132:crossroads dances
121:) was very real.
107:the 1932 election
42:St. Patrick's Day
605:
529:
526:
517:
516:
496:
490:
489:
487:
485:
473:(14 June 2008).
467:
458:
457:
449:
443:
442:
434:
428:
427:
425:
423:
392:
381:
378:
372:
371:
362:(165): 171–173.
343:
334:
331:
316:
295:
285:
263:
240:
238:
236:
111:Second World War
99:Irish Volunteers
87:Young Irelanders
613:
612:
608:
607:
606:
604:
603:
602:
573:Éamon de Valera
558:1943 in Ireland
548:
547:
538:
533:
532:
527:
520:
513:
498:
497:
493:
483:
481:
479:The Irish Times
469:
468:
461:
451:
450:
446:
436:
435:
431:
421:
419:
412:
394:
393:
384:
379:
375:
345:
344:
337:
332:
328:
323:
313:
298:
283:
275:
260:
243:
234:
232:
223:
213:
200:David McCullagh
196:Charles Haughey
127:
115:Operation Green
26:Éamon de Valera
17:
12:
11:
5:
611:
609:
601:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
550:
549:
546:
545:
537:
536:External links
534:
531:
530:
518:
511:
491:
459:
444:
429:
410:
382:
373:
335:
325:
324:
322:
319:
318:
317:
311:
296:
272:
271:
269:
265:
264:
258:
241:
220:
219:
217:
212:
209:
126:
123:
66:Irish language
38:Raidió Éireann
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
610:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
563:1943 speeches
561:
559:
556:
555:
553:
543:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
519:
514:
508:
504:
503:
495:
492:
480:
476:
472:
466:
464:
460:
456:. p. 11.
455:
448:
445:
441:. p. 20.
440:
433:
430:
417:
413:
411:9780857454348
407:
403:
402:
397:
396:Wulff, Helena
391:
389:
387:
383:
377:
374:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
342:
340:
336:
330:
327:
320:
314:
312:9781904890287
308:
304:
303:
297:
293:
289:
282:
278:
274:
273:
270:
267:
266:
261:
259:9780717109180
255:
251:
247:
242:
230:
226:
222:
221:
218:
215:
214:
210:
208:
206:
201:
198:. Similarly,
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
176:
174:
170:
166:
162:
161:
155:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
124:
122:
120:
116:
112:
108:
102:
100:
96:
95:Gaelic League
92:
88:
84:
80:
73:
71:
67:
63:
62:Irish culture
59:
55:
54:Gaelic League
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
544:RTÉ archives
501:
494:
482:. Retrieved
478:
471:Bowman, John
453:
447:
438:
432:
420:. Retrieved
400:
376:
359:
355:
351:
347:
329:
301:
287:
249:
233:. Retrieved
228:
188:Celtic Tiger
177:
158:
156:
143:
140:Charles Lamb
128:
104:
75:
57:
49:
45:
21:
20:
18:
578:RTÉ history
292:RTÉ Radio 1
288:Judging Dev
160:Irish Press
152:John Waters
150:journalist
79:St. Patrick
552:Categories
422:21 January
321:References
268:Secondary
205:Victorian
180:J. J. Lee
178:In 2007,
173:LP record
148:Hot Press
30:Taoiseach
484:24 April
416:Archived
64:and the
248:(ed.).
216:Primary
211:Sources
70:Ireland
34:Ireland
28:, then
509:
408:
309:
256:
235:30 May
165:78 rpm
119:Plan W
284:(MP3)
36:, on
507:ISBN
486:2023
424:2014
406:ISBN
307:ISBN
254:ISBN
237:2016
182:and
364:doi
169:HMV
40:on
32:of
554::
521:^
477:.
462:^
414:.
385:^
360:44
358:.
338:^
290:.
286:.
227:.
72::
515:.
488:.
426:.
370:.
366::
315:.
294:.
262:.
239:.
203:"
56:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.