John Gibney

Short History of Ireland, 1500-2000

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.

A Short History of Ireland, 1500-2000

Michael Kennedy

Kate O'Malley

Ireland had a foreign policy and a diplomatic service before there was an internationally recognised independent Irish state. The origins of the modern Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade lie in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established as one of the first four government departments of the first Dáil in January 1919. This richly illustrated book is a history of Irish foreign policy, rather than an institutional history of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade itself (though the two obviously go hand in hand). It explores how a small state such as Ireland has related to the wider world, by examining how Irish diplomats and politicians responded to the challenges presented by the upheavals of the twentieth century and how this small European state engaged with the world, from the Versailles peace conference of 1919 to the globalisation of the twenty-first century.

A Voice Among the Nations

Ireland

An illuminating and lavishly illustrated history of Dublin; sweeping from its growth under the Viking and Normans through to the new millenium.

A New Illustrated History

Dublin

In October 1641 a rebellion broke out in Ireland. Dispossessed Irish Catholics rose up against British Protestant settlers whom they held responsible for their plight. This uprising, the first significant sectarian rebellion in Irish history, gave rise to a decade of war that would culminate in the brutal re-conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell. It also set in motion one of the most enduring and acrimonious debates in Irish history. Was the 1641 rebellion a justified response to dispossession and repression? Or was it an unprovoked attempt at sectarian genocide? John Gibney comprehensively examines three centuries of this debate. The struggle to establish and interpret the facts of the past was also a struggle over the present: if Protestants had been slaughtered by vicious Catholics, this provided an ideal justification for maintaining Protestant privilege. If, on the other hand, Protestant propaganda had inflated a few deaths into a vast and brutal “massacre,” this justification was groundless. Gibney shows how politicians, historians, and polemicists have represented (and misrepresented) 1641 over the centuries, making a sectarian understanding of Irish history the dominant paradigm in the consciousness of the Irish Protestant and Catholic communities alike.

The 1641 Rebellion in Irish History and Memory

The Shadow of a Year

Donal Fallon

Step back in time with this accessible walking guide to the revolutionary history of Dublin. John Gibney and Donal Fallon have spent years leading historical walking tours through the city, and now guide readers at their own pace through this radical period, bringing it to life in a novel way, from the perspective of the streets and buildings in which it took place. Beginning in 1912, when Dublin was a city of the British Empire, and finishing in the aftermath of the Civil War in 1923, en route it covers the 1913 Lockout, the impact of the First World War, the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence. These groundbreaking events are set against the backdrop of the city’s multifaceted development. Each walk covers a different area, setting the scene with a rich overview of its social, cultural and architectural context during this era, then taking in well-known landmarks and hidden corners where key events unfolded, from Kilmainham Gaol in the west, through Liberty Hall and Jacob's biscuit factory in the inner city, to Croke Park in the north. Along the way, readers will get to know the diverse cast who shaped Ireland’s revolution, from lesser-known figures like Rosie Hackett, to iconic leaders like Patrick Pearse. Each route follows on from the last, allowing readers to extend their explorations through the city. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a born-and-bred Dubliner, follow in the footsteps of the men and women who shaped and witnessed the Irish revolution and see the city as they did.

John Gibney

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