This is a sharply original account of a vital period in modern Irish history.

Alvin Jackson's A History of Ireland, 1798-1998 reappraises apparently rigid political divides and apparently decisive turning-points. The varieties of Irish political experience, and their complex interrelationship, are fully explored: particular attention is paid to the (often highly productive) tension between nationalism and unionism. The work begins and ends with the close of a century, and spans a discrete period in Irish history. Sharp comparisons are drawn between the crises of the late 18th century and the very rapid change experienced in the late 20th century.