Synopses & Reviews
When the dust settled, and blood seeped away, of the wars and conquests before 1660, Ireland was dominated by a fairly homogeneous ruling class of Anglican gentry, says Dickson (modern history, Trinity College, Dublin). He traces how they achieved economic and political ascendance over rival social and religious groups until the last quarter of the 18th century, when they were challenged from above and below.
Synopsis
The cataclysmic events that changed Ireland in the century before 1660 led to the emergence of a new social order, dominated by a fairly homogeneous ruling class of Anglican gentry. This group went on to achieve a remarkable economic and political ascendancy over rival social and religious groups until the last quarter of the eighteenth century. New Foundations is a comprehensive general survey of this formative period of Irish history and explores how such a monopoly of power was achieved, consolidated and eventually challenged - from above and from below.