Short courses

Summary

The years 1912-25 saw a violent end to British rule in Ireland and its replacement by two new Irish states representing conflicting visions of the future. A complex and contested transition that remains in dispute and continues to impact Irish, UK, US and European relations to this day. 

Join this brief 5-week course to take a closer look at this intense period of dramatic consequence. From the first stirrings of revolt in Ulster, through the Easter Rising, to the political turmoil of violent insurrection, partition and civil war, this course will explore the events of this momentous decade and how they continue to shape modern Ireland today. An ideal course for anyone interested in the complexities of contemporary Irish identity, the role of violence in Irish politics and the ambiguous political settlement which emerged as an answer to the age-old Irish question. 

Over a series of talks our expert tutor will explain: 

• Key events of the Irish revolution from the Ulster Crisis of 1912 to the final settlement of the Ulster boundary in 1925 
• key evidence from these events and expert historical perspectives and debates 

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars. 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• more about the causes and consequences of the Irish revolution including the development of nationalism and unionism, the breakdown of British authority in south and west Ireland, the establishment of partition and civil war 
• The radical challenge to British rule in Ireland in the shape of Sinn Fein and the I.R.A, and the role of key individuals including Michael Collins, James Craig and Eamon de Valera