History and Memory in Modern Ireland

Description

Discussing the relationship between the past and the present in Irish society, this title outlines the ways in which Irish identities have been shaped by oral tradition, icons and images, rituals, and re-enactments. It examines pivotal moments in Irish history, such as the 1798 rebellion, the Famine, the Great War, and the Northern Ireland troubles, investigating the ways in which they have been recalled, commemorated and mythologised. Beginning with the conviction that commemoration has its own history, the essays address questions concerning the workings of communal memory. How have particular political and social groups interpreted, appropriated and distorted the past for their own purposes? How are collective memories transmitted from one generation to the next? Why does collective amnesia work in some situations and not in others? What is the relationship between academic history and popular memory?

Born in Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1967, Ian McBride is Lecturer at King's College London, having previously been Lecturer in Early Modern British History at the University of Durham, 1996-2000. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, University College London, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Dr McBride's publications include The Siege of Derry in Ulster Protestant Mythology (1997), Scripture Politics: Ulster Presbyterians and Irish Radicalism in the Late Eighteenth Century (1998) - which was shortlisted for the Ewart-Biggs memorial prize - and, co-edited with Tony Claydon, Protestantism and National Identity: Britain and Ireland, c. 1650-c.1850 (1998).

'... a highly impressive work.' History 'There is much to be learned from the authors in this collection ... this book is a commendable and balanced attempt to relate perceived memory to actual history in the current political context.' Irish Democrat 'McBride is to be commended for compiling his universally contentious History and Memory in Modern Ireland.' Irish Political Studies 'This collection of essays, from a variety of perspectives, challenges assumptions and provides fresh ideas on the study of memory and its interactions with history, whether documented, oral or visual. The book is enhanced by excellent illustrations.' James Kelly, St. Patrick's College