Ireland in the World Order: A History of Uneven Development

This history examines Irelands development from the medieval to the modern era, comparing its unique trajectory with that of England, Scotland and Wales. Maurice Coakley focuses on key elements that contributed to Irelands development, examining its bloody and violent incorporation into the British state, its refusal to embrace the Protestant Reformation and failure to industrialise in the 19th century. Coakley considers the crucial question of why Irelands national identity has come to rest on a mass movement for independence. Cutting through many of the myths imperialist and nationalist which have obscured the real reasons for Irelands course of development, Ireland in the World Order provides a new perspective on Irish history.