The play centres on the 1798 Rebellion. The play is startlingly nationalistic, in its last pages encouraging young men to sacrifice their lives for the heroine Cathleen ni Houlihan, who represents an independent and separate Irish state. The title character first appears as an old woman at the door of a family celebrating their son's wedding.
The play centers on the 1798 Rebellion. It is intensely patriotic, with its final pages urging young men to sacrifice themselves for Cathleen ni Houlihan, who represents an independent and separate Irish state. The protagonist first appears as an old woman at the door of a family celebrating their son's wedding.