The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics

Irish Parties and Irish Politics from the 18th Century to Modern Times

Professor Tom Garvin’s classic work studies the growth of nationalism in Ireland from the middle of the eighteenth century to modern times.

It traces the continuity of tradition from earlier organisations, such as the United Irishmen and the agrarian Ribbonmen of the eighteenth century, through the followers of Daniel O’Connell, the Fenians and the Land League in the nineteenth century to the Irish political parties of today, including Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Labour Party and Fine Gael.

The dual nature of Irish nationalism is shown in sharp focus. Despite the secular and liberal leanings of many Irish leaders and theoreticians, their followers were frequently sectarian and conservative in social outlook. This book demonstrates how this dual legacy has influenced the politics of modern Ireland.

The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics: Table of Contents

1. Irish parties and Irish politics
   The Irish republic: post-colonial politics in a western European state
   Political culture and political organisation
   Geography, economics and method
3. The origins of Irish popular politics
   Roots of Irish popular nationalism
   The beginnings of urban radical political organisation, 1750–1800
   Agrarianism, religion and revolution, 1760–1800
5. The development of nationalist popular politics, 1800–48
   Secret societies before the Famine: the rise of Ribbonism
   Political mobilisation in pre-Famine nationalist Ireland
7. Secret societies and party politics after the Famine
   The social background
   Electoral politics after the Famine
   The recrudescence of republicanism: Fenianism and the Agrarians
   The IRB and Irish politics after the Land War
9. Agrarianism, nationalism and party politics, 1874–95
   Political mobilisation and the agrarian campaign
   The development of the Irish National League
   The Parnell split: the collapse of the Irish National League
11. The reconstruction of nationalist politics, 1891–1910
    The rebuilding of the parliamentary party
    The rise of the Hibernians
13. The new nationalism and military conspiracy, 1900–16
    The development of cultural nationalism and the origins of Sinn Féin
    Fenians, Volunteers and insurrection
15. Elections, revolution and civil war, 1916–23
    The rise of Sinn Féin
    The electoral landslide of December 1918
    The Republic of Ireland, 1919–23
17. The origins of the party system in independent Ireland
    The ancestry of the Irish party system
    The legitimation of the state and the building of political parties
19. An analysis of electoral politics, 1923–48
    Parties and elections in the Irish Free State
    Turnout, 1922–44
    Sinn Féin III/Fianna Fáil
    Cumann na nGaedheal/Fine Gael
    The Labour Party
    The farmers’ parties
    The break-up of the Treaty party system
21. The roots of party and government in independent Ireland
    The central place of party in Irish politics
    Party and the physical force tradition
    The evolution of the Irish state
    Party and government in independent Ireland
23. Some comparative perspectives
    Liberal democracy
    The party system in comparative perspective