Nationalism in Ireland

by David George Boyce

Based on extensive historical, literary and political research, this text examines the relationship between ideas and political and social reality. It explains why the aspirations of Irish nationalism have failed to modify the facts of Irish political conflict and sectarian division. For this revised edition, Professor Boyce has added a new final chapter which considers the development of nationalism in both parts of Ireland in the light of the most recent political events and places the phenomenon of nationalism in its contemporary and European setting.

Genres: Ireland, History, Nonfiction

504 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

David George Boyce is a graduate of the Queen’s University of Belfast, where he also researched for his PhD. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He was an Archivist in the Department of Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library Oxford, 1968-71, and then lectured in the Department of Politics and International relations in Swansea University from 1971 until 2004. He has written books and articles on modern British, Irish, imperial and military history and politics.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed examination of the phenomenon of nationalism as it has appeared in Ireland.

The book is well researched, if, perhaps, a little dated now and has probably been superseded by Richard English's excellent Irish Freedom: A History of Nationalism in Ireland. Even so, the book still repays reading, and much of the current trend of questioning the myths of Irish nationalism can be seen in embryonic form here.

[Bubba]

This is dense as sin. I've been working on it for probably a year, and I'm only in the 18th century.