Without going so far as to say that Irishmen have lost all feeling for romance, I am firmly of the opinion that Dublin audiences are at least as cynical as any audience in the world. The fact impresses me more and more every time I go to a show or a cinema - particularly the latter. I saw recently an incident in a film which would have drawn angry tears and loud expressions of disapproval from at least half of the audience 10 years ago. On this occasion it inspired nothing but vaguely suppressed titters and, here and there, ribald laughter. I wonder why this should be so; for I doubt very much if the past 10 years have inspired any very noticeable change in the national character; and, in any case, cynicism is not a characteristic of Irishmen when they are otherwise engaged than in assisting at a show.
I have not noticed the same tendency in audiences elsewhere in Ireland, or in any English towns that I have visited recently. Perhaps, the explanation may be that the Dublin audiences have a surer eye for picking out sticky sentiment from true.
The Irish Times, July 27th, 1931.