A brisk, concise, and readable overview of Irish history from the Protestant Reformation to the dawn of the twenty-first century   Five centuries of Irish history are explored in this informative and accessible volume. John Gibney proceeds from the beginning of Ireland’s modern period and continues through to virtually the present day, offering an integrated overview of the island nation’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic history. This succinct, scholarly study covers important historical events, including the Cromwellian conquest and settlement, the Great Famine, and the struggle for Irish independence. Gibney's book explores major themes such as Ireland’s often contentious relationship with Britain, its place within the British Empire, the impact of the Protestant Reformation, the ongoing religious tensions it inspired, and the global reach of the Irish diaspora. This unique, wide-ranging work assimilates the most recent scholarship on a wide range of historical controversies, making it an essential addition to the library of any student of Irish studies.

The 1790s is one of the most critical decades in the history of modern Ireland. The decade witnessed the birth of the modern ideology of separatist Irish republicanism, the creation of the Orange Order, and the greatest bloodletting in modern Irish history in the form of the 1798 rebellion. In the aftermath of the rebellion came the Act of Union that brought Ireland into the United Kingdom for the next 121 years, and the smaller rebellion of Robert Emmet, possibly one of the most famous – and, to later generations, inspirational – of Irish republicans.Now, in the second installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, some of the world’s leading experts on the 1790s explore the origins, nature and aftermath of the decade from a range of perspectives: from the individuals involved and their international links, to the events of the rebellion and the responses of the government, to the maneuvers that led to the Act of Union, this volume explore the motives, actions and legacies of the republicans, loyalists, and propagandists who shaped one of the most important decades in Ireland’s modern history.

The 1790s is one of the most critical decades in the history of modern Ireland. The decade witnessed the birth of the modern ideology of separatist Irish republicanism, the creation of the Orange Order, and the greatest bloodletting in modern Irish history in the form of the 1798 rebellion. In the aftermath of the rebellion came the Act of Union that brought Ireland into the United Kingdom for the next 121 years, and the smaller rebellion of Robert Emmet, possibly one of the most famous – and, to later generations, inspirational – of Irish republicans.Now, in the second installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, some of the world’s leading experts on the 1790s explore the origins, nature and aftermath of the decade from a range of perspectives: from the individuals involved and their international links, to the events of the rebellion and the responses of the government, to the maneuvers that led to the Act of Union, this volume explore the motives, actions and legacies of the republicans, loyalists, and propagandists who shaped one of the most important decades in Ireland’s modern history.

"Taken as a whole, these easily digestible vignettes collectively provide an illustrative, if not quite exhaustive, arc of Irish thought on royalty, adeptly addressing the particular interests of academic specialists without sacrificing clarity for a wider popular audience." – CHOICEIn the twenty-first century there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, and two very different heads of state represent the populations of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively: the elected presidency of the republic, and the hereditary monarchy of the United Kingdom. But the idea of monarchy, and the related notion of aristocracy, has a long heritage in Ireland. There was a native aristocracy long before the British conquest, and British monarchs were not the only monarchs to matter to Irish people. Now, in the third installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, a range of experts examine how the role played by monarchs and their monarchies from the middle ages up to the present has had a role in shaping Ireland and its peoples, exploring some unexpected highways and byways along the way. From the Vikings to the Jacobites, and from the high-kings of Irish mythology to Mrs Simpson, this volume looks at king’s, queens, their followers and their opponents to cast light on Ireland’s history from an unexpected angle.

"Taken as a whole, these easily digestible vignettes collectively provide an illustrative, if not quite exhaustive, arc of Irish thought on royalty, adeptly addressing the particular interests of academic specialists without sacrificing clarity for a wider popular audience." – CHOICEIn the twenty-first century there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, and two very different heads of state represent the populations of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively: the elected presidency of the republic, and the hereditary monarchy of the United Kingdom. But the idea of monarchy, and the related notion of aristocracy, has a long heritage in Ireland. There was a native aristocracy long before the British conquest, and British monarchs were not the only monarchs to matter to Irish people. Now, in the third installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, a range of experts examine how the role played by monarchs and their monarchies from the middle ages up to the present has had a role in shaping Ireland and its peoples, exploring some unexpected highways and byways along the way. From the Vikings to the Jacobites, and from the high-kings of Irish mythology to Mrs Simpson, this volume looks at king’s, queens, their followers and their opponents to cast light on Ireland’s history from an unexpected angle.

The history of sexuality in Ireland remains relatively understudied when compared with the more well-worn paths of political and military history, but that is not to say that it has never been considered. Now, in the fourth installment of the ''Irish perspectives'' collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland, a range of experts explore Irish history from the perspective of the broad concept of sexuality, in both theory and practice.From the legalities that defined gender roles in the middle ages and early modern periods, to women’s role in political life and civil society, Gender and Sexuality in Ireland provides a comprehensive overview of the nation''s understanding and relationship with sexuality and patriarchy. Population change, prostitution, incarceration, infanticide, abortion and homophobia are all considered alongside attempts to impose - and ignore - Catholic morality in independent Ireland.Struggles for women’s rights and reproductive rights, the culture wars of the 1980s, and Irish people simply trying to have good sex lives, the essays gathered here cast light on aspects of Ireland''s past that are often overlooked in more mainstream narratives of Irish history.

A brisk, concise, and readable overview of Irish history from the Protestant Reformation to the dawn of the twenty-first century   Five centuries of Irish history are explored in this informative and accessible volume. John Gibney proceeds from the beginning of Ireland’s modern period and continues through to virtually the present day, offering an integrated overview of the island nation’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic history. This succinct, scholarly study covers important historical events, including the Cromwellian conquest and settlement, the Great Famine, and the struggle for Irish independence. Gibney's book explores major themes such as Ireland’s often contentious relationship with Britain, its place within the British Empire, the impact of the Protestant Reformation, the ongoing religious tensions it inspired, and the global reach of the Irish diaspora. This unique, wide-ranging work assimilates the most recent scholarship on a wide range of historical controversies, making it an essential addition to the library of any student of Irish studies.

The 1790s is one of the most critical decades in the history of modern Ireland. The decade witnessed the birth of the modern ideology of separatist Irish republicanism, the creation of the Orange Order, and the greatest bloodletting in modern Irish history in the form of the 1798 rebellion. In the aftermath of the rebellion came the Act of Union that brought Ireland into the United Kingdom for the next 121 years, and the smaller rebellion of Robert Emmet, possibly one of the most famous – and, to later generations, inspirational – of Irish republicans.Now, in the second installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, some of the world’s leading experts on the 1790s explore the origins, nature and aftermath of the decade from a range of perspectives: from the individuals involved and their international links, to the events of the rebellion and the responses of the government, to the maneuvers that led to the Act of Union, this volume explore the motives, actions and legacies of the republicans, loyalists, and propagandists who shaped one of the most important decades in Ireland’s modern history.

The 1790s is one of the most critical decades in the history of modern Ireland. The decade witnessed the birth of the modern ideology of separatist Irish republicanism, the creation of the Orange Order, and the greatest bloodletting in modern Irish history in the form of the 1798 rebellion. In the aftermath of the rebellion came the Act of Union that brought Ireland into the United Kingdom for the next 121 years, and the smaller rebellion of Robert Emmet, possibly one of the most famous – and, to later generations, inspirational – of Irish republicans.Now, in the second installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, some of the world’s leading experts on the 1790s explore the origins, nature and aftermath of the decade from a range of perspectives: from the individuals involved and their international links, to the events of the rebellion and the responses of the government, to the maneuvers that led to the Act of Union, this volume explore the motives, actions and legacies of the republicans, loyalists, and propagandists who shaped one of the most important decades in Ireland’s modern history.

"Taken as a whole, these easily digestible vignettes collectively provide an illustrative, if not quite exhaustive, arc of Irish thought on royalty, adeptly addressing the particular interests of academic specialists without sacrificing clarity for a wider popular audience." – CHOICEIn the twenty-first century there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, and two very different heads of state represent the populations of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively: the elected presidency of the republic, and the hereditary monarchy of the United Kingdom. But the idea of monarchy, and the related notion of aristocracy, has a long heritage in Ireland. There was a native aristocracy long before the British conquest, and British monarchs were not the only monarchs to matter to Irish people. Now, in the third installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, a range of experts examine how the role played by monarchs and their monarchies from the middle ages up to the present has had a role in shaping Ireland and its peoples, exploring some unexpected highways and byways along the way. From the Vikings to the Jacobites, and from the high-kings of Irish mythology to Mrs Simpson, this volume looks at king’s, queens, their followers and their opponents to cast light on Ireland’s history from an unexpected angle.

"Taken as a whole, these easily digestible vignettes collectively provide an illustrative, if not quite exhaustive, arc of Irish thought on royalty, adeptly addressing the particular interests of academic specialists without sacrificing clarity for a wider popular audience." – CHOICEIn the twenty-first century there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, and two very different heads of state represent the populations of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively: the elected presidency of the republic, and the hereditary monarchy of the United Kingdom. But the idea of monarchy, and the related notion of aristocracy, has a long heritage in Ireland. There was a native aristocracy long before the British conquest, and British monarchs were not the only monarchs to matter to Irish people. Now, in the third installment of the collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland magazine, a range of experts examine how the role played by monarchs and their monarchies from the middle ages up to the present has had a role in shaping Ireland and its peoples, exploring some unexpected highways and byways along the way. From the Vikings to the Jacobites, and from the high-kings of Irish mythology to Mrs Simpson, this volume looks at king’s, queens, their followers and their opponents to cast light on Ireland’s history from an unexpected angle.

The history of sexuality in Ireland remains relatively understudied when compared with the more well-worn paths of political and military history, but that is not to say that it has never been considered. Now, in the fourth installment of the ''Irish perspectives'' collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland, a range of experts explore Irish history from the perspective of the broad concept of sexuality, in both theory and practice.From the legalities that defined gender roles in the middle ages and early modern periods, to women’s role in political life and civil society, Gender and Sexuality in Ireland provides a comprehensive overview of the nation''s understanding and relationship with sexuality and patriarchy. Population change, prostitution, incarceration, infanticide, abortion and homophobia are all considered alongside attempts to impose - and ignore - Catholic morality in independent Ireland.Struggles for women’s rights and reproductive rights, the culture wars of the 1980s, and Irish people simply trying to have good sex lives, the essays gathered here cast light on aspects of Ireland''s past that are often overlooked in more mainstream narratives of Irish history.