University of Galway

Course Module Information

Course Modules

Semester 1 | Credits: 5

This module will explain the processes whereby Ireland was partitioned into two states, the effectively independent dominion of the Irish Free State and the home rule state of Northern Ireland. It will also follow the course of both states after partition, focusing on how they dealt with early threats to their authority and the economic difficulties faced by them in the 1930s. The differing experiences of the two states in World War II and the effect of that in solidifying partition will also be examined. Other themes discussed will include the following: the evolution of southern Ireland to an independent republic; its growing role in the international community through membership of the European Union and the United Nations; the emergence of the troubles and the end of home rule in Northern Ireland; and relations between the two states throughout the period of the module.
(Language of instruction: English)

Learning Outcomes
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for the partition of Ireland
  2. Compare the economic circumstances of the two Irelands
  3. Assess the impact of the second world war on the two Irelands
  4. Evaluate the role of independent Ireland in international affairs throughout the period
  5. Analyse the causes of the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland, c.1968-1998
Assessments
  • Written Assessment (100%)
Teachers
Reading List
  1. "The Cambridge History of Ireland: Volume 4, 1880 to the Present" by Thomas Bartlett
    ISBN: 1-108-64835-5.
    Publisher: Cambridge University Press
  2. "Twentieth-Century Ireland (New Gill History of Ireland 6)" by Dermot Keogh
    ISBN: 9780717159437.
    Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
  3. "Northern Ireland: Conflict and Change" by Jonathan Tonge
    Publisher: Routledge
The above information outlines module HI208: "The Two Irelands in the 20th Century" and is valid from 2021 onwards.
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.