Cover of Riders to the Sea

Riders to the Sea

by John Millington Synge

First published
2004
Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"Riders to the Sea" by J. M. Synge is a one-act tragedy first performed in 1904. Set on the Aran Islands off the Irish coast, the play depicts a family's hopeless struggle against the relentless cruelty of the sea. Maurya, a grief-stricken mother who has already lost her husband and five sons to drowning, faces the unbearable possibility of losing her last remaining son. Written in the poetic dialect of rural Ireland, this work explores themes of fate, tradition, and acceptance in the face of inevitable loss.

  • Ireland
  • Mothers and sons
  • Drowning victims
  • Seafaring life

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #994. Riders to the Sea on Wikipedia.

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