Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

What's a good history of Ireland

Options
  • 03-08-2004 9:22pm
    #1
    Yoda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭


    I checked the Recommended Reading sticky and apart from the Oxford Companion to Irish History there wasn't much mentioned.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,671 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Well, a book I enjoyed was "A history of Ireland" by E. Curtis, it gave a general history of Ireland for preHistoric to Treaty times, in a clear well written manner. A drawback is it was published in the 60s, so I don't know if there is up to date versions of it.


  • Options
    #3
    Yoda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭Yoda


    I guess I would be interested in a newer book. Reviews of the Oxford Companion are quite good, but I'd be interested to know about other titles. I wonder if Curtis is in print.


  • Options
    #4
    sliabh
    Registered Users Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭sliabh


    I recently read "A concise history of Ireland".
    http://www.gillmacmillan.ie/ecom/library3.nsf/CatalogByTitle/48102E3226C9481B80256AE000373801!OpenDocument

    It's a light coffe table book. Well illustrated and a good introduction to Irish history. I went for it as it had good coverage of Ireland before the arrival of Christianity and it goes up to the Good Friday Agreement


  • Options
    #5
    eoinm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 44 ✭eoinm


    while this isn't strictly what your looking for I've just finished ATQ Stewarts 'Shape of Irish History' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0773523340/qid=1092238504/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_9_4/202-3103467-3641419) and I'd like to reccoment it as a fine introduction to themes and indeed memes in irish history. Well worth the read


  • Options
    #6
    PHB
    Registered Users Posts: 20,617 ✭✭✭✭PHB


    Sean Dufft "A Concise History of Ireland" is quite good, a nice general guide to Irish History


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    martarg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 209 ✭✭martarg


    My personal favourite is Robert Kee's trilogy The Green Flag. It was published in the early 1970s, and it is basically a history of nationalism rather than of Ireland itself. Consequently there is a lot that it does not cover, but as far as nationalist history goes, I think there are few better books you can choose to start learning. It is balanced, clear, and entertaining... unfortunately my readings on general Irish history were sacrificed very soon in favour of more specialised material. I have the Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland, but it is more like a collection of separate essays. Apart from that, I haven't had the chance to read it, but the "New History of Ireland" series edited years ago by T. W. Moody and W. E. Vaughan among others, and more recently by R. V. Comerford, is said to be very good.


Advertisement