Jacqueline Hill – författare

Eighteenth-century Dublin contained the largest concentration of Protestants (c.70,000) in Ireland. Freemen of the guilds alone - who were entitled to a parliamentary vote - were almost as numerous as the entire landed class. These merchants, master craftsmen, and shopkeepers, most of them members of the established church, became firm supporters of the Patriot movement that culminated in the winning of legislative independence in 1782. Dr Jacqueline Hill draws on an extensive range of pamphlet and other sources, in order to examine the freemen's contribution to Irish Patriotism. She considers their challenge to oligarchy, their attitudes to Britain, and, crucially, their attitudes to Catholics. Offering the first detailed analysis of the ideological nature of Irish Patriotism in its wider British, American, and European context, Dr Hill also provides a fresh perspective on the transformation of eighteenth-century Patriots into nineteenth-century Unionists.

This collection of essays begins with an examination of the changing theories of luxury and austerity since classical times and other papers apply the theme to the history of Ireland and Britain. These papers were read before the 23rd Irish Conference of Historians in Maynooth, 1997.

Also included are chapters discussing current and recent attempts to examine the legacy of collective religious memory - notably in Northern Ireland - based on projects designed to encourage reflection about the religious past among both adults and school-children.