Inspired perhaps by the centennial of the founding of the Irish Literary Theatre in 1897, or by the critical excitement generated by the current wave of Irish playwriting, an unusual number of historical analyses of the Irish theatre have emerged in the last few years. The better of these texts reflect the trend in both theatre history and Irish studies to challenge the assumptions of earlier historical narratives by analyzing the work of previously marginalized individuals and groups, and by including feminist, materialist, or postcolonial perspectives in their analyses. Yet while a growing interest in pre-twentieth-century Irish performance is emerging into print, few Irish theatre history surveys look farther back than the 1870s, focusing instead on Irish drama’s dynamic influence on modern theatre—and modern Ireland—throughout the twentieth century. While it’s a long way from Smock Alley to the Abbey, and while modern Irish theatre was invigorated by global influences as well as local traditions, Ireland’s rich theatre heritage created important artistic and material precedents for its twentieth-century stage. Christopher Morash’s A History of Irish Theatre, 1601–2000 performs a great service for the field by linking the modern Irish theatre to the country’s earlier theatrical traditions, reminding us that Irish drama was enriching the lives (and sometimes enraging the tempers) of Irish audiences long before The Playboy of the Western World.