These books answer to the needs of university students, the general reader, and all those interested in Irish history. In place of a general narrative, each book focuses on major aspects of Irish history. Three short survey essays at the beginning of each book — on politics and administration, society and economy, and culture and religion — place these themes in their broader context. Two chapters are devoted to each major theme: the first is an analytical historical essay; the second is a broad selection of original historical documents, each with an introduction, an exact citation of source, and a concise presentation of its paraphrasable content. Lastly, there are short essays on historical concepts important in the period and brief biographies of major figures (each with a select bibliography.

The first book in the series, Ireland 1815-70: Emancipation, Famine and Religion, opens by exploring how nationalist Ireland mobilized a mass democratic movement under O’Connell to secure Catholic Emancipation. This world was soon to be transformed by the horrifying tragedy of the Great Famine of 1845-50, which set the context for the emergence of a popular mass nationalism, expressed in the Fenians (and later by Parnell and Sinn Féin). This period also witnessed the radical re-organization and politicization of the Catholic Church that began with the Synod of Thurles (1850). All three events, in varying ways, changed the face of nineteenth-century Ireland. The second book in the series, Ireland 1870-1914: Coercion and Conciliation will be in shops in May 2011. They can be purchased at a discounted price of €17.95 at www.fourcourtspress.ie