Defenders of the Union

Defenders of the Union: A Survey of British and Irish Unionism Since 1801 provides a comprehensive overview of the contentious politics of Unionism and the effects it has had on the relationship between Britain and Ireland over the past two centuries. By considering the history of Unionism, the Act of Union of 1801, the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 and their aftermath, Defenders of the Union provides an essential guide to these historical events and the continuing legacies which they have created. This book looks at the way the Union has affected Anglo-Irish and Catholic-Protestant relations and also considers its social, cultural and economic effects on Irish and British life. Key aspects which are discussed include: definition of Unionism establishment of the Union defending the Union Protestant Churches and opposition to Home Rule Unionist literature loyalists since 1972 Unionism, conservatism and the Anglo-Irish agreement.

Author Biography

D. George Boyce is Professor of Politics at the University of Wales, Swansea. His previous publications include Nationalism in Ireland (Routledge, 1995) and The Irish Question and British Politics 1868-1996 (Macmillan, 1996). Alan O’Day is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of North London. His previous publications include Irish Home Rule 1867-1921 (Manchester University Press, 1998) and Charles Stewart Parnell (Dundalgan Press, 1998). D. George Boyce and Alan O’Day have also co-edited two books for Routledge, Parnell in Perspective (1991) and The Making of Modern Irish History (1996).