Product Description

'A companion to be cherished', 'judicious and authoritative', 'informative and entertaining', an 'invaluable work of reference' - these are just some of the phrases used by reviewers to describe the Oxford Companion to Irish History. The history of Ireland has long been at the epicentre of political and academic debate. Interest in Irish culture, politics, and society, both ancient and modern, never seems to falter, not only in scholarly circles but also among the general public. With over 1,800 entries, this Companion - now available in the Oxford Paperback Reference series - offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide to all aspects of Ireland's past from earliest times to the present day. There is coverage not only of leading political figures, organizations, and events but also of subjects such as dress, music, sport, and diet. Traditional topics such as the rebellion of 1798 and the Irish Civil War sit alongside entries on newly developing areas such as women's history and popular culture. In addition to A-Z entries the Companion includes a section of maps showing the shape of modern Ireland, post-reformation ecclesiastical divisions in Ireland, political divisions circa 800, Ireland circa 1350, Ireland in the late 15th century, and the pattern of transport and communications in Ireland. There is also a subject index, which groups headwords into thematic batches to provide an alternative way to access the entries. The Oxford Companion to Irish History is invaluable to students as a work of general reference and to the general public with an interest in the history and culture of Ireland. It also appeals to academics both for the longer analytical entries and as a source of reference for topics outside their immediate area of expertise.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107623 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 672 pages

About the Author
Professor Sean Connolly is currently Professor of Irish History at the School of Modern History, Queen's University, Belfast. His previous posts have included Archivist at the Public Record Office of Ireland, Lecturer at St Patrick's College, Dublin, and Lecturer and later Reader in History at the University of Ulster. He is the author and editor of a number of titles (see 'Books by the same author' below).

Customer Reviews

A set of tiny, perfectly-formed scholarly essays on Ireland
For the general reader - especially an expatriate - this book provides an excellent summary of the key people, places, events, movements and ideas in Irish history. Each entry is tightly written, providing all the reader needs to know without (so far as I can see) falling foul of any of the political traps with which Irish history is beset. While names and places with a place in "modern" history (say from 1600) appear both in their Irish form and in an English transliteration, my only criticism is that there is little guidance to the non-Irish-speaker on the pronunciation of the ancient Irish names of places and people. But if that was included the resulting book would be too big to read in bed!

yes, it's a dictionary
I can't believe someone would read a reference book that is obviously an encyclopedia/dictionary then complain that it's "really a dictionary." There are plenty of other introductory books on Irish history out there.

This reference book is a real treat. The passages are authoritative, succinct, and easy to read. They direct you to other related entries, so it's possible to look up one word or phrase, and then find yourself spending the next few hours following a thread of thought. I'm a historian, and I use this all the time for areas of history I'm less familiar with. I trust it completely.

Indispensable
Authoritative? Yes. Scholarly? Yes. Informative? Yes. Best thing to Buy? Yes.

As a student of Irish history this has been utterly dependable. The sections are manageable, concise, well-written, and outline aspects of traditional and revisionist historiography on each topic, something which very few reference guides can claim to offer. It goes beyond the normal demands of reference works, through the Early Medieval, Gaelic, Medieval and Modern Periods of Irish history, outlining the most important events, movements, and leaders of a turbulent national history. It is both sensitive to the Irish struggle of many centuries, and highly objective, a task difficult for any expert on Irish history, let alone a number of contributors. Highly recommended are the sections on O¡¦Connell and Robert Emmet, Fenianism, and the rebellion of 1848, but all of it is good stuff, as it were.