The Parnell Myth and Irish Politics 1891-1956 (American University Studies)

By William M. Murphy

This pathbreaking study confirms for the first time the existence of a real historical entity called the Parnell Myth. It probes deeper than the romantic story of the -lost leader- to find the myth's roots in Parnell's role as representative of Irish nationalist aspirations. It identifies the myth's principal characteristics - including motifs, symbols, and a central theme and central symbol - and explains how they give the myth its unity, coherence, and a significance beyond the story itself. The study demonstrates that dignity and self-respect were fully as vital components of the national question as independence, that the independence at stake was more fundamental than most politicians - or revolutionaries - appreciated, and that the question of independence persisted long after the Irish Free State had been established."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0820403512
• ISBN13: 9780820403519
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.
• Length: 203 Pages