"The Land" touched upon a typical conflict, the conflict between the
individual and that which, in Ireland, has much authority, the
family group. This particular conflict was shown again in "The
Fiddler's House." where the life, not of the actual peasants, but of
rural people with artistic and aristocratic traditions, was shown.
I tried to show the same conflict working out more tragically in the
play of middle-class life, "Thomas Muskerry." Here I went above the
peasant and the wandering artist and came to the official. I had
intended to make plays about the merchant, the landowner, the
political and the intellectual leader and so write a chapter in an
Irish Human Comedy. But while I was thinking of the play that is
third in this volume my connection with the National Theatre Society
was broken off. "Thomas Muskerry" was produced in the Abbey Theatre
after I had ceased to be a member of the group that had founded it.
PADRAIC COLUM
NEW YORK
_August, 1916_
_CONTENTS_
AUTHOR'S NOTE
THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE
THE LAND: AN AGRARIAN COMEDY IN THREE ACTS
THOMAS MUSKERRY
_THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE_
_CHARACTERS_
CONN HOURICAN, a Fiddler.
MAIRE (Mary) [1] HOURICAN, his daughter.
ANNE HOURICAN, a younger daughter.
BRIAN MACCONNELL, a younger farmer.
JAMES MOYNIHAN, a farmer's son.
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