'The achievements of Irish writers writing in English are known and celebrated the world over. But almost nobody outside Ireland knows anything about those who have worked in the nation's first language. Even at home Gaelic literature is very rarely read, except - often unenthusiastically - in schools and colleges. Must we conclude that all the writers who stuck to Gaelic are failures? The book under review is the penultimate volume of an ambitious and most valuable project, a complete survey of prose written in Gaelic from 1880 to 1950 ... O'Leary believes that, partly as a result of the false starts and controversies afflicting their efforts in the 40s and early 50s, the best writers of Gaelic rose to the challenge. Between them they all offered enough 'intellectual sustenance' to give both the language and its literature a reason to advance with some optimism into the modern age. And finally, for those of us who feel that reading volumes in the English language may be more a duty than a pleasure, it is good to report that this fascinating book is written entirely in English.' The Irish Catholic 18 August 2011