Ireland And The Irish Question

From 1800 to 1922 the Irish Question was the most emotional and divisive issue in British politics. It pitted Westminster politicians, anti-Catholic British public opinion, and Irish Protestant and Presbyterian champions of the Union against the determination of Ireland's large Catholic majority to obtain civil rights, economic justice, and cultural and political independence. In this completely revised and updated edition of The Irish Question, Lawrence J. McCaffrey extends his classic analysis of Irish nationalism to the present day. He makes clear the tortured history of British-Irish relations and offers insight into the difficulties now facing those who hope to create a permanent peace in Northern Ireland.

Taking the years 1800-1920, the book considers the four Home Rule Bills and discusses the role of leading figures such as Charles Stewart Parnell and Isaac Butt. This is a careful study of the rise in political consciousness- it addresses the relationship between nationalism and the Catholic faith, and popular support for the Union amongst Ulster Protestants- providing clear analysis of a troubled period.