A New History of Ireland

by Christine Kinealy

Irish history has been dominated by a succession of settlers, traders, invaders, soldiers, and colonizers. Fittingly, the arrival of Patrick in the 5th century—arguably one of history's most important settler—is the starting point for this concise and accessible account of Irish history. Topics addressed include the arrival of Christianity and its role in integrating Ireland more firmly with Europe and abetting the emergence of a golden age of Irish scholarship; the Anglo-Normans and the origins of Ireland's long, complex, and often tortuous relationship with England; and the economic, financial, and cultural position of the Republic of Ireland in the 21st century. The key developments and personalities of Irish history are all addressed, and challenges to the dominant interpretation of events such as Cromwell's invasion, the Plantation of Ulster, the Great Famine, and Nationalism are presented.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Irish Literature

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2004

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5

This was just was I was looking for. A well organized history or Ireland, with about the level of detail I wanted. It was a touch dry though.

The more I read, the more I realized I assumed much more about Ireland than I really knew. I was unaware of the centuries long list of wrongs done by England upon Ireland. I also noted the similarities in policy towards the Catholics in Ireland as American policies towards African Americans. So many laws done in the name of justice or order, which really were about greed. And all the laws that resulted in the Catholics losing so much land.

[Virginia Rand · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I found the content interesting, being confronted with a wall of text for 300 pages is tiring. If you aren't already familiar with the history of Ireland, I'd suggest going into this book with pens and highlighters to try and keep it all sorted in your head.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested to know a bit more of the history of the country that my grandfather left in 1874.