The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language (SPIL; ga, Cumann Buan-Choimeádta na Gaeilge) was a cultural organisation in late 19th-century Ireland, which was part of the Gaelic revival of the period. It was founded on 29 December 1876. Present at the meeting were Charles Dawson, High Sheriff of Limerick,

T. D. Sullivan Timothy Daniel Sullivan (29 May 1827 – 31 March 1914) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, politician and poet who wrote the Irish national hymn "God Save Ireland", in 1867. He served as Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1886 to 1888 and a Member of ...

, editor of ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...

''; and Bryan O'Looney.Aidan Doyle (2015),
A History of the Irish Language
', p. 165 Writing in 1937,

Douglas Hyde Douglas Ross Hyde ( ga, Dubhghlas de hÍde; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as (), was an Irish academic, linguist, scholar of the Irish language, politician and diplomat who served as the first President of Ireland from June 1938 t ...

also remembers himself,

George Sigerson George Sigerson (11 January 1836 – 17 February 1925) was an Irish physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland. Doctor and scientist Sigerson was b ...

Thomas O'Neill Russell Thomas O'Neill Russell (1828–1908) was an Irish novelist and a founding member of Conradh na Gaeilge. Life He was born in Moate, County Westmeath, the son of Joseph Russell, a Quaker farmer. He interested himself in the Irish language from th ...

, J. J. McSweeney of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...

, and future MP James O'Connor as being present. Its patron was

John MacHale John MacHale ( ir, Seán Mac Éil; 6 March 1789 (or 1791) – 7 November 1881) was the Irish Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, and Irish nationalist. He laboured and wrote to secure Catholic Emancipation, legislative independence, justice for te ...

, Archbishop of Tuam, its first president was

Lord Francis Conyngham Lord Francis Nathaniel Conyngham (24 September 1832 – 14 September 1880) was an Irish politician who sat in the United Kingdom Parliament as a member of parliament. Background Conyngham was a younger son of The 2nd Marquess Conyngham and Lady J ...

, and its first vice-presidents included

Isaac Butt Isaac Butt (6 September 1813 – 5 May 1879) was an Irish barrister, editor, politician, Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, economist and the founder and first leader of a number of Irish nationalist part ...

and The O'Conor Don. Unlike similar organisations of the time, which were

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

in nature, the SPIL aimed at protecting the status of the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

, which was threatened with extinction at the time. Its mission statement said that it was "possible and desirable to preserve the Irish Language in those parts of the country where it is spoken, with a view to its further extension and cultivation." Hyde wrote that the formation of the society could truly be said to be the first attempt made to recruit the common people to the cause of the Irish language. The society succeeded in having Irish included on the curriculum of primary and secondary schools and third-level colleges in 1878. The membership of the SPIL included

Protestant Ascendancy The ''Protestant Ascendancy'', known simply as the ''Ascendancy'', was the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland between the 17th century and the early 20th century by a minority of landowners, Protestant clergy, and members of th ...

figures such as Lord de Vesci and Colonel W. E. A. Macdonnell.

Horace Plunkett Sir Horace Curzon Plunkett (24 October 1854 – 26 March 1932), was an Anglo-Irish agricultural reformer, pioneer of agricultural cooperatives, Unionist MP, supporter of Home Rule, Irish Senator and author. Plunkett, a younger brother of Jo ...

represented the Society at the 1901 Pan-Celtic Congress in Dublin. It took a conciliatory approach to the British government and civil service in pursuing its aims, in contrast to the later

Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...

, which was anti-British in character.Doyle (2015), p. 170

References

1876 establishments in Ireland Irish language organisations Educational organisations based in Ireland {{Ireland-org-stub