Douglas Hydes Casadh an TSúgán - The Twisting of the Rope - Is Presented at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin

Douglas Hyde’s Casadh an tSúgáin (The Twisting of the Rope) is presented at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin in 1901, marking a landmark moment in Irish cultural history as the first staged play in the Irish language.

Hyde—founder of the Gaelic League and later President of Ireland—wrote the play as part of a wider effort to revive the Irish language and promote native Irish culture through literature and the arts. Performed by members of the Gaelic League, the play’s success demonstrated the viability of Irish-language drama and helped spark the growth of an Irish-language theatrical tradition.

The performance is considered a milestone of the Irish Literary Revival, blending folklore, humor, and national pride into a distinctly Irish theatrical expression.