Economy and Society in Pre-Independent Ireland

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This module explores the nature of the Irish economy and society from the mid eighteenth to the early twentieth century. This was a period when Protestant Ascendancy was challenged and displaced, while Irish Catholicism emerged from the Penal era emboldened and assertive. Ireland, in these 170 years, experienced unparalleled population growth followed by the demographic catastrophe of the Great Famine, and subsequent population decline. The rising commercial and professional middle classes asserted their position as the 'natural leaders' of society. The very nature of paid work changed greatly, as the north-east region underwent a localised industrial revolution, while elsewhere on the island, levels of economic independence that women enjoyed in pre-Famine rural Ireland were somewhat lost in the post-Famine years of adjustment.Particular attention is given in this module to the susceptibility of the population to famine and subsistence crisis, to demographic fluctuation, and to the popular response to crisis. In addition, the course will address formative social developments such as the language shift, evolving perceptions of and attitudes to poverty, and the role of women. Throughout, attention will also be paid to similarities and disparities between the rural and urban experiences, while focus will not be lost on developments in the northern province. The course will conclude with an exploration of Irish economic and social developments on the eve of partition.