Mairin Mitchell’s and Walter Starkie’s Divergent(?) Images of Pre-War Spain (1934-1936)

Abstract

Despite the neighbouring, though politically contentious, relationship between Ireland and Britain over centuries, Irish writers have cultivated a singular image of Spain that veers away from the British Romantic construct of the country in general and the Spanish conflict in particular, an image that has customarily been overlooked although the Spanish Civil War, its history, its aftermath and its international implications have always held a deep fascination for Irish writers. This article revolves around the image of Spain as portrayed by two Irish authors who travelled in Spain on the verge of the conflict and who held divergent political stances: Walter Starkie (1894-1976), who supported the nationalist cause, and Mairin Mitchell (1895-1986), who had a pro-left ideology. Through the exploration of Starkie’s and Mitchell’s travelogues, lectures, newspaper articles and personal letters, this article will examine the extent to which these two positions are at odds and the reasons behind these differences.