A Short History of Modern Ireland

By Richard Killeen

Book Overview

The French Revolution unleashed new forces, particularly nationalism, on western civilization; nowhere was their impact felt more strongly than in Ireland. From 1798 on there were constant demands for changes in relations between Ireland and Britain, ranging from calls for limited autonomy within the UK to outright independence. In A Short History of Modern Ireland Richard Killeen traces the different strands within Irish nationalism and the growing resistance to nationalism in Ulster.

Following Irish history through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, he explores the social, economic, and political development of Ireland, covering topics ranging from industrialization, especially in Ulster; railways, cars, and the transport revolution; urban growth; the decline of the Irish language and the rise of English; the trauma of the Great Famine; the Irish diaspora; and the chronic instability of Northern Ireland. Combining strong narrative drive with explanation and interpretation, Killeen locates Ireland in a comparative European context and stresses the country's growing cultural engagement with the larger Anglo-American world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0773526706
• ISBN13: 9780773526709
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.9" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

The social, economic, and political development of Ireland

In A Short History Of Modern Ireland, freelance writer and historian Richard Killeen traces the different strands within 19th and 20th century Irish nationalism -- as well as the growing resistance to Irish independence and nationalism in Ulster. Reflected in this succinct historical survey are the social, economic, and political development of Ireland ranging from industrialization and transportation, to urban growth, the decline of the Irish language, and the chronic instability of Northern Ireland. Enhanced with color and b/w photography, A Short History Of Modern Ireland is concise, superbly presented, and a welcome contribution to any personal or community library World History collection.