Quick survey presentation of modern Irish history, 1600-2015

1. Irish History and Culture:
From Molly Malone to Nobel Laureates
Christopher S. LaRoche
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Undergraduate Advising & Academic Programs (UAAP)
Independent Activities Period (IAP)
19 January 2018
Copyright © 2018 - Christopher S. LaRoche

2. Introduction
• Irish history is a controversial subject in many ways. The
goal of this class is to try and present the facts as well as
we known them and let you draw your own conclusions
• Simple stereotypes and simplistic “right and wrong”
answers do not lead to understanding of the actual events –
more complicated and nuanced than often perceived
• This is ESPECIALLY TRUE of the history of Ireland

3. Ireland Basics
• Small island on the fringes of Western Europe
• Independent nation since early 1920s, the southern part
(Republic) since 1948
• Joined EC/EEC/EU in 1973
• Contrary to stereotypes and myths – has been an
internationalized country and culture for millennia
• Real bridge between America and Europe – culturally,
socially, and economically

4. Ireland Basics

5. Ireland Basics
• The Basics
– 32 counties
– 4 provinces
• Leinster
• Munster
• Connacht
• Ulster
• Ulster is actually 9 counties: 6 counties in Northern Ireland
and 3 in the Republic, the term Ulster is sometimes used
incorrectly when referring to Northern Ireland

6. Ireland Basics
• Governed by Great Britain as one entity until 1920/1921
– 26 counties were given self governance (South, Free State and
later the Republic)
– 6 counties within Ulster (in the northeast became Northern
Ireland)
• Creation of Northern Ireland was build to ensure a Unionist
majority for this new entity. Viewed as temporary option
• Total population (6.6 million)
– Irish Republic – about 4.75 million
– Northern Ireland – about 1.85 million

7. Ireland Basics
Until 1918 was economically administered as one entity
• Southern Ireland
Until about 50 years ago, a largely rural economy, then rapid
growth and expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, constriction in the
1980s, economic boom from 1994-2004, crash in 2007, now
recovered with a strong economy. Brexit is a huge concern
• Northern Ireland
Until mid 20th century, was the economic engine of the entire
island. That shrank the last half of the 20th century. Since end of
WWII, the economy heavily subsidized by the UK government.
The EU and Republic’s growth have helped the last two decades,
but still lagging. Brexit a huge concern here too

8. Ireland Basics
• The way of using language is hugely important in Irish
English. Extreme use of euphemism and non-direct/passive
voice of the language
– “I don’t disagree”
– “I am feeling unwell”
• Northern Ireland (official term)
– North, Six Counties
– Ulster
• 1998 Peace Treaty
– Belfast Agreement
– Good Friday Agreement (referencing 1916)

9. Mythology and Romanticism

10. Mythology and Romanticism
• Often history is seen as more romantic and mythical than
the actual fact of what happened
• Particularly acute regarding Irish history
• Ireland is THE POSTER CHILD for this view of romantic
notions of history

11. Mythology and Romanticism
• Massive emigration – so the “romantic there” is always
perfect from a distance and “rose-tinted glasses”
• Ruled by another country for a long period of time – a
*colonized* state and strong identity different than Britain
• Irish culture often perpetuated the myth of Ireland as an
agrarian world of farmers living off a harsh and bad land

12. Mythology and Romanticism
• The myth of the kingdom of “Saints and Scholars” who
were persecuted by non natives was prevalent
• Generally a pleasant culture and friendly people. The pub
and music culture is attractive to many
• Especially in urban areas of North America (Boston, NY,
Chicago, San Francisco, and Montreal), culture influenced
by a romanticized ideal of Ireland. Usually passed down
from relatives or stories over generations
• With fighting in Northern Ireland until the 1990s – the idea
of the IRA fighter was overly romanticized and legitimized

13. Mythology and Romanticism
• These are powerful forces that regrettably helped shape a
particular view of Irish culture and history until recently –
and still exist in various forms
• Think of the stereotypes inherent regarding Irish
(American) culture
– “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame
– The stereotype of the drunk Irish – St. Patrick’s day
– Term “Paddy Wagon”

14. Seventeenth-Century Ireland
• Early 1600s started the plantation of Ireland by England –
and particularly Northeastern Ulster
• Think ‘Jamestown’
• Flight of the Earls
• Religious turmoil between England and rest of Catholic
Europe (mostly Spain) – many connections Spain - Ireland
• 1641 massacre – response to plantation
• Charles I & English Civil War (British monarchy overthrown
and replaced with a ’Commonwealth’)

15. Seventeenth-Century Ireland
Oliver Cromwell
Not really liked in Ireland

16. Seventeenth-Century Ireland

17. Seventeenth-Century Ireland
• Catholic James II took over the crown of England…
Not really liked by the powers that be…
• Glorious Revolution – a proxy European war between
English King James II and the chosen “Protestant” to
replace him - William of Orange (from the Netherlands)
• This proxy was was fought largely on Irish soil with the
Siege of Derry & Battle of the Boyne - July 12, 1690
• This entire fight was about power, not religion, but religion
became the identifier

18. Seventeenth-Century Ireland
William of Orange (King Billy)
Foundational change
Protestant Crown permanent
Catholics disenfranchised
Flight of the ‘Wild Geese’

19. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
• Long eighteenth century of peace and expansion in Ireland
• Penal laws
• Bad famines in first half of the 18th century
(1720s & 1740s)
• Commerce – and growth of Atlantic world – huge
emigration from Ireland to North America
• Emergence of middle-class (Catholic) merchants

20. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
• Irish Parliament – growth and emergence (Anglican only)
• ‘Colonial Nationalism’ emerges
• Swift - ‘grandfather of an
embryonic Irish nationalism’
• As an Anglican in Ireland, he
considered himself both fully
English or Irish and really a
‘middle nation’ – there was not
a contradiction in this that would
later seem not believable

21. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)

22. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
• American and French revolution – PROFOUND impact
• Huge connections between America and Ulster - emigration
• Irish Parliament – 1782 - ‘legislative independence’
• Growing radicalization in middle class society – particularly
with Ulster Presbyterians and Dublin Anglicans – and some
middle class Catholics and Quakers

23. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
• United Irishman
• 1798 Uprising
• Horrific Bloodshed
• Non sectarian turned
totally sectarian in
the end…

24. Eighteenth-Century Ireland
• Importance of 1798 CANNOT be underestimated
• 1798 set the context and stage for the next 200
years of Irish history.
• The lens of Ireland and who was who (particularly the
Northeastern Presbyterian part of Ireland) started a distinct
and different path from this time one…
• Scared the hell out of the other Irish non-Catholics
• Sectarian nature of Ireland the we still live with today
emerges at this time

25. Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland
• Act of Union in 1801 was a direct reaction to the 1798
Uprising
• Economic Constriction worldwide and in Ireland, combined
with massive population growth – reaching about 8 million
early in the century
• O’Connell and Catholic Emancipation

26. Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland
• Great Emancipator
or Liberator
• Monster Meetings
HUGE!
• VERY Catholic
• Non Violent
• Catholic Emancipation
finally won in 1829!

27. Famine - Introduction
• 1840s Famine -- ‘The Great Hunger’ (an Gorta Mór)
– 1845/1846 – Government assistance early in the crisis
– 1846/1847 Winter – Deadly and difficult winter
– 1847 – Help fatigue set in and crop was decent
– 1848/1849 – Crop failed utterly and famine’s worst instance here –
and European revolutions slowed response and both starvation and
disease killed at an stunning rate here
– 1850/1851 – Emigration peak
• Total deaths was between 750k – 1.5 million – the true
number will likely never be fully known
• About same number emigrated to Britain, United States,
Canada (cheaper), and elsewhere

28. Famine - Introduction
• The Irish Famine of the 1840s is understood as one of the
most awful events in modern Irish history. It is agreed that
it was poorly handled by the government
• This famine was used a political weapon by later
nationalists to demonize Britain and help various Irish
causes (such as trying to achieve Irish home rule and
independence).
According to historian JJ Lee: “The Fenians were essentially
the cry for revenge for the famine”
• Ireland actually suffered other famines – ones in 1720s and
1740s were statistically more devastating per capita. These
happened when an Irish Parliament existed and in a less
less politically charged atmosphere than 1840s

29. Famine High-Level Issues
• Famine affected millions
(The potato crop failed in 3 of 4 seasons from 1846-1849)
• Food was in very short supply in certain areas
• Closing ports would not have solved the famine
• Charges of genocide not sustainable – must understand the
social/cultural/economic views of time. Even if we today
see as very wrong – we must understand those views
• British response was inadequate due to many domestic
political issues (such as different view of government
responsibilities than today, Corn Laws, recession, and
British governments changes)

30. Famine High-Level Issues
• Rate of Population growth peaked between 1791-1800
• Emigration was rising rapidly (a constant in Irish society)
and famine did not change the pattern - just accelerated it
• Many potato blights earlier, but always smaller and handled
by the government relief measures of the day (specifically
from the Irish Parliament of the day)
• Ulster – though cotton and linen industry declined, a
growth of power looms existed and an economic diversity
and vibrancy existed here unlike in other parts of the
country. Ulster had a relatively vibrant economy at this
time and minimal effects from the famine

31. Famine High-Level Issues
• The famine was acute in certain geographic areas where
social structure was changing (poor areas)
• Ireland was an unequal distribution of income and
resources for its people. A very uneven economy that was
more obvious by the mid 1820s onward
– Certain areas were economically stagnant
– Seasonal workers were a large part of the economy
• “Perfect storm situation” – the combination of economic
conditions, poor harvest, poor weather, over dependence
on the potato, and poor government response helped make
this situation explode as it did

32. Famine High-Level Issues
• View of the famine through the political perspective has
lessened only in the last few decades. More recently, a
more comprehensive view of the famine has emerged…
• Irish politicians were more concerned with political matters
than the famine until it was too late. Young Ireland and
O’Connell were at odds during this time frame
• Certain ambivalence in Irish culture about discussing this
topic until recently
• Katrina & Puerto Rico currently are useful parallels.
Obviously not as horrific but useful analogy

33. Nineteenth-Century Ireland
• Huge emigration to the
United States and
Canada – led to huge
radicalization outside
of Ireland – IRB
• Much more radical view
emerged when Irish
and their relatives
lived from abroad

34. Nineteenth-Century Ireland
• Started the process of land re distribution in Ireland
• Land distribution to the majority of population happened
between 1870 and 1903 – so more and more of the
population were land owners/holders
• Started the concept and re emergence of Home Rule talk
that existed in a way pre 1801

35. Nineteenth-Century Ireland

36. Nineteenth-Century Ireland
• Charles Stuart
Parnell ‘King of Ireland’
• Michael Davitt
• Land League
• Three Fs
Fair Rent
Fixity of Tenure
Free Sale
• Gladstone & Home Rule
push

37. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• 1903 Onwards – Northeastern Ireland prepared to avoid
being part of Irish Home Rule from this time…
• 1912 – Home Rule finally passed (‘third time the charm’)
NO PROVISIONS FOR “ULSTER”
• 1912 – (Unionist) Solemn League and Covenant
• Unionist’s planned armed resistance against Britain ‘to
show loyalty’ and this included importing guns

38. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Literary Renaissance this time – Yeats, Gregory, and Hyde
and emergence of ‘cultural nationalism’
• Arthur Griffin founded Sinn Fein (1905)
• Nationalists aggravated by ‘special treatment’ of “Ulster”
• Started arming and many groups here wanting some type
of insurrection unless Home Rule – or more – emerged
• Home Rule delayed due to World War I
• ALL SIDES pulled back with the war – ‘cooling off’

39. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• World War I
• Many Irish Volunteers
• Somme
• Conscription debacle

40. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• 1916 Uprising
• IRB lead (not Sinn Fein)
• Irish Republic declaration
• The British response

41. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• World War I ends. World away from the 1912 Home Rule
• Election in 1918 – Sinn Fein wins overwhelming majority -
except in the northeast
• Nationalists refused to sit in Westminster. Met at their own
parliament in Dublin – Dáil Éireann (shadow government)
• British refused to grant home rule – and send in troops to
Ireland to force compliance
• Start of the Anglo-Irish war, which led to the “Black and
Tans” and “Irregulars” in common vocabulary

42. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• The Anglo-Irish war was a guerilla war that continued for
almost two years – neither side could win outright, but the
Irish perfected the art of guerilla war fare – the template
for 20th century nationalist movements worldwide!
• Government of Ireland Act 1920: partitioned the island
between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland
• Allowed Northern Ireland to opt out of the Irish free state,
which happened and started the creation of Northern
Ireland as we know it today

43. Ireland 1903-1998 - Ulster
Antrim
Down
Armagh
Derry
Tyrone
Fermanagh
Donegal
Monaghan
Cavan

44. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Part of the agreement contained a clause about the
“Boundary Commission” – which was to to decide later (mid
1920s) about specific border issues. Expected changes
• The partition of the island was disliked, but that Ireland
could not be a REPUBLIC and was still linked to the British
imperial system was disliked (this was part of the treaty
between the Irish and British government)

45. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• With this conflict, a split emerged among nationalists &
republicans who fought the Anglo-Irish war together.
• The Irish Civil war started in June 22, 1922, which was a
result of disappointment about the peace treaty with
Britain: this was both about the connection to Britain (no
Irish Republic) and partition less so. Vast majority of Irish
supported the peace treaty, but a vocal minority did not
• Bloody and awful, the civil war lasted a year until the Irish
government crushed the opposition, which included
executing several high profile fighters opposing the
government

46. Twentieth-Century Ireland
“The big two”

47. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• The Irish Free State – become isolated and conservative
• Northern Ireland – became provincial backwater and rigged
Unionist state
• World War II – profound effect upon both states
– Free state – neutral
– Northern Ireland – sided with allies
• Bombings in each state during World War II
• Each state solidified itself by its own mythology in this time
”cooperfasted partition”

48. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• “Irish Free State” declares itself a Republic in 1948 and
removed itself from the British Commonwealth
• Post War – Ireland was isolated from much of post WWII
world until it was allowed to join UN in 1955
• Post War – Northern Ireland becomes more tightly
connected with Britain and enjoys the fruits of the Welfare
State – with unintended consequences
The Unionist rigging of the state continued, but with the
welfare state there was more equal allocation for all.
EXPECTATIONS by the post war generation increased!

49. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• The birth of the 1960s was optimistic and world economic
growth – including Ireland
• JFK visit to Ireland week’s before his death in 1963 – a
landmark event within Ireland
• Growing number of Catholics in Northern Ireland who would
go to University (welfare state) and demanded equal rights
within the society starting in the 1960s
• Geriatric ruling class in Northern Ireland only responded
with force and was overt racism towards Catholics

50. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Northern Ireland exploded into violence in 1968-1969
Real fear of civil war in Northern Ireland
• British troops arrived in Derry in August 1969 – initially
welcomed by Irish nationalists in the North as ‘protectors’
and that soon soured
• All the demands of protesters were met eventually (British
government demanded it), but too little too late
• Northern Ireland became a total police state
• IRA re-emerged as a potent force after (I Ran Away)

51. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Bloody Sunday was one awful episode – Jan 30, 1972.
Fourteen murdered, many injured, and all were civilians
protesting peacefully – a turning point
• Britain instituted “Direct Rule” in 1972
• Cyclical violence continued throughout the 1970s as IRA
continued to grow in strength and the British and RUC
continued to brutalize the local nationalist population
• Contemplation of many issues by the British through the
1970s, including outright withdrawal – but status quo
remained

52. Twentieth-Century Ireland
Margaret Thatcher
Not as hated as Cromwell
in Ireland, but close!
British PM from 1979

53. Twentieth-Century Ireland
Hunger Striker: Bobby Sands
Born in Belfast
Ended up as the face of the
‘Hunger Strikers’
Elected MP of British Parliament
Died 66 days into a hunger strike

54. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Cyclical violence continued throughout the 1980s, thought
secret negotiations continued between all parties
• Several attempts to reach accommodations were derailed
• Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985
(Ulster says No & Irish Civil Servants)
• End of Cold war helped move sides toward peace
– No ‘good terrorists’
– ‘No strategic interest’

55. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• Enter Bill Clinton & Tony Blair in the late 1990s
• Unionists needed convincing they were not being ‘pushed
into a United Ireland’
• Belfast/Good Friday agreement in April 1998 – finally
settled the issue of the North for generations

56. Twentieth-Century Ireland
• During this time, the Republic was building a strong
economy and becoming increasingly secular for many
reasons
• By the mid 1990s, Ireland had one of the strongest
economies in the world – the number 2 supplier of software
worldwide (after the US)
• Economic growth (real) continued through 2001- 2004
• Housing prices went up 300-400% from mid 1990s until
2007

57. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• By 2007 – the overheating economy and housing prices
peaked and the economy crashed
• Just before the world economy crashed in 2008, Ireland’s
banks were deemed insolvent
• Irish government forced (by Germany & EU) to guarantee
banks loans – the state was on the hook for trillions of
dollars potentially – that they did not have!
• Economy constricted from 2007 until about 2013

58. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• As Ireland in the Euro, the EU forced Ireland to take loans
and sent the country into virtual receivership
• Much of the ’Celtic Tiger’ gains were lost, huge
unemployment, emigration skyrocketed, & lost generation
• Elections of 2011 swept out and virtually decimated the
main political party (Fianna Fail), but the new government
(Fine Gail) kept strict controls per EU requirements
• By late 2013-2014, debts were repaid and Ireland emerged
and started to slowly grow economically and in 2017/2018
is one of the strongest economies in the EU (per capita)

59. Twenty-First Century Ireland

60. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• One of the last acts of the previous president of the Irish
Republic, Mary McAleese, was to coordinate an official visit
of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in May 2011
• The Queen was warmly received
• Tons of symbolism on this trip, visiting of war memorials,
particularly the Garden of Remembrance proved hugely
important and historical
• This was in a way a historical conclusion of the friction and
antipathy towards the republic of Ireland and Britain

61. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• Economy is rebounding and Ireland is doing much better
after the banking disaster of 2007-2013, but problems
persist (underfunded health care, immigration, etc.)
• Increasingly secular society was shown in May 2015 when
the population voted 62% to legalize same-sex marriage.
25 of the 26 counties in the nation voted Yes.
• As a strong supporter and member of the European Union,
the vote for Brexit proved potentially disastrous for Ireland
– for many reasons
• In late 2017, the Prime Minister of Ireland (Taoiseach)
changed and is now Leo Varadkar, who is ethnically Irish
and Indian and openly gay

62. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• 56% of Northern Ireland voters supported staying in the EU
and rejecting Brexit – even though it passed overall across
England and Wales
• With Brexit happening in March 2019, the Irish border (the
only land border between the UK and the EU) is a huge
topic of discussion. Been guarantees of no ‘hard border’
that existed pre Good Friday agreement from the British
• The government of Northern Ireland collapsed months ago
and still no agreement on power sharing. Also, leaders of all
sides from the troubles are retiring and dying off, so next
generation of leaders emerging in Northern Ireland

63. Twenty-First Century Ireland

64. Twenty-First Century Ireland
• How this situation unfolds the next few years could impact
so much of the island of Ireland economically, politically,
and culturally.

65. Questions
• Please contact me if you have any questions about the
lecture or questions about modern Ireland or Irish history
• These slides and the handout available on Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.com/silvaire65
• Email: laroche@mit.edu or c.laroche@northeastern.edu