HIST 261   Modern Irish History (EU)

Few Western European countries have had as turbulent a recent history as Ireland, nor one whose legacy remains as persistent. This course focuses on Ireland's evolution from Britain's oldest colony to a self-governing state, culminating in her current situation as a divided nation whose acute internal tensions sit uneasily within a broader framework of European unity. Although the independence struggle and Anglo-Irish relations in general feature prominently, the course goes beyond the "national question" to examine such issues as the growth of Irish culture, images of Irishness at home and abroad, developments in social and economic history, and the complex roots of the conflict in Northern Ireland. (EU)