University of Galway

Course Module Information

Course Modules

Semester 2 | Credits: 5

This course is a survey of Irish history in the period from the articles of Limerick to the Act of Union. It aims to introduce students to salient developments in the spheres of government, society and the economy while paying particular attention to the identities of the three main religious communities and the ways in which these evolved during the eighteenth century. Topics that will be explored include the relationship between the Irish political nation and British government; the significance of Catholic Jacobitism; and the political dimension of Protestant Dissent. The course also aims to acquaint students with current historiographical debates on such issues as Penal legislation; Anglo-Irish patriotism; politicisation in the 1790s; and the applicability of ‘colonial’ and/or ‘ancien régime’ models in the context of eighteenth-century Ireland.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Explain the fundamental objectives of British government in 18th century Ireland.
  2. Evaluate the policies applied in pursuit of those objectives.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as ‘patriotism’, ‘reform’, ‘improvement’, ‘republicanism’
  4. Relate these to political developments and economic trends
  5. Outline the parameters, aims and methods of popular protest in ancien regime Ireland.
  6. Ascertain the relevance of this paradigm to the 1790s
  7. Describe the main features of popular culture
  8. Clarify why and how popular culture changed over the long eighteenth-century
Assessments
  • Written Assessment (67%)
  • Continuous Assessment (33%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "New foundations" by David Dickson
    ISBN: 0716526379.
    Publisher: Irish Academic Press
  2. "Eighteenth Century Ireland: The Long Peace" by Ian McBride
    ISBN: 0717116271.
    Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
  3. "Divided Kingdom: Ireland 1630-1800" by S.J. Connolly
    ISBN: 0199583870.
    Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
The above information outlines module HI204: "18th Century Ireland, 1691-1801" and is valid from 2017 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.