Publisher's Synopsis
A comprehensive account of the role of religion in division and conflict in Ireland. Eschewing the popular focus on Northern Ireland, the author adopts an all-Ireland framework, beginning with a social and historical survey and offering a thorough cultural and structural analysis of contemporary divisions in the context of Ireland as a whole. He argues that the key divisive factor remains the opposition between Protestant loyalists in Ulster and Catholic nationalists throughout Ireland. Although these two blocs of interest are less compact and more fragile than they once were, their continued polarization remains founded on unique combinations of religious and political creeds and interests. These help maintain the structured social inequalities of both groups while continuing to contribute indirectly to mutual violence. Because Paisleyism is commonly viewed as the only important religious element in the conflict, the author emphasizes the role of the Irish Roman Catholic institutions and culture. The work is aimed at teachers and undergraduate and postgraduate students of history, sociology, political science, and Irish studies.
