Abstract

Though tackled in a skillful and oblique way rather than head-on, the main theme of Brian Friel's play Translations! is the imperialistic nature of the Ordnance Survey ofIreland conducted by military agents ofthe British government in the period 1824-46.2 Designed to bolster the position ofthe 2,000-3,000 Protestant Ascendancy landlords in Ireland, this large-scale enterprise was clearly part of what the English saw as bringing civilization to the savage Irish.

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