BOOK REVIEW

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Notes

1. Pearse was not articulating an eccentric or idiosyncratic idea. In 1929 the American linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir wrote: ‘Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems of communication and reflection. The fact of the matter is that the “real world” is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group.’ (Mandelbaum, 1963, p. 162).

2. Fascism is a form of extreme right-wing ideology that celebrates the nation or the race as an organic community transcending all other loyalties. It emphasizes a myth of national or racial rebirth after a period of decline or destruction. To this end, fascism calls for a spiritual revolution against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism, and seeks to purge ‘alien’ forces from the organic community. Fascism tends to celebrate masculinity, youth, mystical beauty, and, sometimes, the regenerative power of violence. It often romanticizes the past as inspiration for national rebirth.

3. Originally, Pearse had planned to name the school Scoil Lorcáin, after the patron saint of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin; it is unclear why he changed the name, but perhaps he wished to signal his allegiance to St. Enda's legacy of scholarship as well as marking his personal attachment to the Aran Islands. Likewise, although St. Colmcille featured largely in Pearse's thinking it is likely that he chose the name ‘Enda’ for his school because of the association St. Enda had with the west of Ireland.