Synge was the victim of a cruel paradox: those who loved his works knew no Irish and those who loved Irish despised his works. Leading international commentators came to accept the assumption that the dramatist knew little or nothing of his native language. This book shows that, on the contrary, Synge's command of Irish was extensive and that this knowledge proved invaluable in the writing of his major plays. This radical reappraisal of Synge's achievement draws extensively on his unpublished papers in the Irish language. In rebutting the nationalist attack on the dramatist with an account of his deep indebtedness to the Gaelic tradition, Dr Kiberd also reveals an Irish Synge who has been consistently neglected by international scholars. This new edition has been augmented by a substantial introductory chapter, reviewing recent developments in Synge criticism and offering a post-colonial interpretation of The Playboy of the Western World. 'A magistirial study of Synge's language and of his imaginative engagement with Gaelic traditions'- Irish Independent 'A devoted, accessible and scholarly book' - Literary Review