Liam enjoyed reading and from an early age he was influenced by the many pamphlets and periodicals available in the early 1900's. Below is one such pamphlet which is in Liam's collection of papers, Denvir's Monthly Irish Library. These publications consisted of collections of Irish poetry, history, and patriotic biography. They were sold at 1d each and were referred to as Denvir's Penny Library. This particular issue features an article by the Fenian Michael Davitt (1846-1906) , Fenian, member of IRB, agrarian agitator and founder of the Irish National Land League. He was a labour leader, Home Rule politician and Member of Parliament.
As well as reading Liam Langley enjoyed drama and the theatre. He introduced dramatic classes to the Tuam Sluagh of Na Fianna Éireann, 'The Eloquent Dempsey' being one piece staged by them. Liam attended many plays, mainly nationalist, one being The Membory of the Dead, with Constance de Markievicz in the lead role. The programme from the play remains in his papers, this dates from around c.1912.
'Casimir Markievicz set up the Independent Dramatic Company. His first Irish plays feature social comedy and obscure allegory however from 1908 in keeping with his wife’s increasingly radical stance, Markievicz’s plays veered into nationalist politics – most noted is the play the Memory of the Dead put on in both the Abbey and the Gaiety in 1910. The theme dealt with by Markievicz was one of heroic patriotism. Set in Sligo and Mayo during the 1798 Rising it deals with two rebels (one cautious, one hot-headed) in love with the same girl. A wedding takes place to mislead the authorities about the planned Rising, the husband disappears and is suspected of betraying the rebels. He is later revealed as a hero after his return in disguise and noble death. His child is consecrated to set Ireland free, as the curtain falls. The cast included Constance Markievicz, Helena Moloney and the young Fenian doctor Patrick McCartan and the charismatic Sean Connolly, who would later join the Abbey, and die on the roof of the City Hall during the 1916 Rising.’ (R.F. Foster, Vivid Faces, The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923)
