Overview

While Irish historical writing has long been in thrall to the perceived sectarian character of the legal system, this collection is the first to concentrate attention on the actual relationship that existed between the Irish population and the state under which they lived from the War of the Two Kings (1689-1691) to the Great Famine (1845-1849). Particular attention is paid to an understanding of the legal character of the state and the reach of the rule of law, with contributors addressing such themes as: how law was made and put into effect; how ordinary people experienced the law and social regulations; how Catholics related to the legal institutions of the Protestant confessional state; and how popular notions of legitimacy were developed. These themes contribute to a wider understanding of the nature of the state in the long eighteenth century and will therefore help to situate the study of Irish society into the mainstream of English and European social history.

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9781032920429

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Reviews

'... this book not only succeeds in providing a series of valuable individual essays but also, thanks to the editor’s excellent introduction and wider guiding principles, provides a coherent volume that is greater than the sum of its parts. It will be essential reading for all scholars who want fully to understand Irish society in the long eighteenth century.' Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies '... a tour de force ... it provides an excellent introduction to legal systems in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Ireland and a valuable guide to issues such as legal reform and civic governance among many others. The detailed and highly readable introduction sets the tone for the essays that follow.' European History Quarterly

'... this book not only succeeds in providing a series of valuable individual essays but also, thanks to the editor’s excellent introduction and wider guiding principles, provides a coherent volume that is greater than the sum of its parts. It will be essential reading for all scholars who want fully to understand Irish society in the long eighteenth century.' Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies '... a tour de force ... it provides an excellent introduction to legal systems in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Ireland and a valuable guide to issues such as legal reform and civic governance among many others. The detailed and highly readable introduction sets the tone for the essays that follow.' European History Quarterly

Author Information

Michael Brown is a lecturer in History at the University of Aberdeen, and acting director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies. Seán Patrick Donlan is a lecturer in law at the University of Limerick.

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