Prime the Pump

For over seventy years, An Chomhairle Ealaíon/the Arts Council of Ireland has played a critical role in Irish cultural development. The interface between Arts Council policy, Catholicism, and amateur drama, which this book examines, provides an access point for understanding how people responded to the socio-economic crisis facing post-war Irish society. Exploring the cultural impact of amateur drama on the modernization of Irish society, the book argues that the movement challenged resistance to change from more traditional aspects of Irish social, political and theological life. The book analyses a cross-section of plays performed at the All-Ireland, Western, Clare, North Cork and other drama festivals between 1953 and 1969, which highlighted and challenged social issues, including emigration, poverty, housing, and the institutionalization of vulnerable women and children. Matters of national importance that continue to impact contemporary Irish society.