Life on the Fringe?

Scholars of modern Ireland have all too often been too immersed in the intricacies of Anglo-Irish relations to cast a wider glance toward the European continent. Was Ireland really on the fringe of Europe during the 19th century, trapped into an Anglo-Irish Neverland by the Act of Union, oblivious to the progress of European events? This volume challenges such notions and explores the general theme of 'Ireland and Europe' from different and fascinating perspectives. This thematic survey places a number of major themes of Irish history in their European context from 1800 to 1922. The Irish-European connections during the 19th century span the entire continent from France to Russia, and from Finland to Spain. It takes Irish history as an organic component of European developments, breaking the Western Europe bias of much of the existing scholarship. The book demonstrates that Ireland under the Union lived on the fringe only in a geographical sense, and that the European tide of change was clearly felt upon its shores.