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Must-read books on Irish politics

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  • 09-08-2020 2:26pm
    #1
    KiKi III
    Registered Users Posts: 2,653 ✭✭✭


    I’d like to become more educated on the history of Irish politics, from say the famine to the current day.

    What books would you recommend? I’d be happy to read biographies of significant individuals, themed books around major moments like the civil war or the troubles, or more general histories.

    I’d like to gain a better understanding of politics today by looking at the past.

    Any recommendations?


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    #2
    Hermy
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 11,302 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hermy


    I'm currently reading Tim Pat Coogan's Ireland In The 20th Century. It might be a good starting point by giving a general overview of the time period you're interested in before getting into individual events and people.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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    #3
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,651 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    This probably depends on when your political knowledge started (so, your age mostly) but if its 1990s onwards and you need to start going earlier; two I'd recommend are Lost Revolution, about the OIRA/Workers Party and Down Down Deeper and Down which is a general history but particularly politically focused from 1973-85.


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    #4
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    This Great Little Nation: The A-Z of Irish Scandals & Controversies (1999) - Gene Kerrigan and Pat Brennan

    If you can get your hands on this, it's got about 100 stories of the usual dodginess from the previous 50 years.


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    #5
    Robert McGrath
    Registered Users Posts: 437 ✭✭Robert McGrath


    The Boss is a great read detailing the craziness around the 3 general elections in 18 months in 1981-82

    Well worth checking out


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    #6
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,153 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    OP, you might find the Politics book thread at the top of the forum useful:

    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056088794

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #7
    petronius
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭petronius


    Recently read David McCullaghs book on the rise of Dev -
    I had a loan of the makeshift majority - interesting in a time of multi-party government
    Mccullagh is in many ways the new John Bowman..

    The Lost Revolution Brian Hanley and Miller is a good book on the officials and left republicanism
    Bowyer Bells book on the iria is excellent
    Tim Pat Coogans also
    Matt Treacy has a good book on the IRA and on the History of the CPI
    Clan na poblachta by McDermott is another good historical book


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    #8
    Good loser
    Registered Users Posts: 3,169 ✭✭✭Good loser


    tricky D wrote: »
    This Great Little Nation: The A-Z of Irish Scandals & Controversies (1999) - Gene Kerrigan and Pat Brennan

    If you can get your hands on this, it's got about 100 stories of the usual dodginess from the previous 50 years.

    Couldn't imagine anything by Kerrigan being much good.


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