A Brief History of Ireland

by Richard Killeen

The perfect introduction to the Irish story-a story wrapped in mythology and legend.

Since its very origins, Ireland has become the home for a successive series of invaders-the Celts, Christians, Vikings, and Normans. And despite deprivation, desperation, and suppression, Ireland has developed an unwavering sense of purpose and place.

In this lucid and fascinating introduction to the island's story, Richard Killeen separates the history from the myths. Ranging from Ireland's pre-Gaelic origins to the present day, it emphasizes the island's uniqueness as well as it close ties to English and European culture. The tangled and often violent relationship between Ireland and the English crown is a key part of the story, as are nationalism, religious allegiances, and the island's internal conflicts.

Killeen locates Ireland in a European and Atlantic world and explores the nation's remarkable contribution through its literature, its diaspora, and its genius for popular politics.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Irish Literature, Travel, European History, Cultural

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tour of Irish history. I downloaded this for a trip to Dublin, and if anything I would suggest one can skip the first 8 chapters if you want to get to the meat of the dispute and skip the Viking/Norman conquests of the island. Or you can skip the first 14 chapters if you just want the last 200 years of strife. To Richard Killeen's credit, the book is incredibly modular: each chapter is rich in its own right, and his reference to movements makes it easy to pick up at any point. If one, for example, is visiting sites related to the 1916 uprising, reading the appropriate chapter (22) would give a great level of depth, even if one hasn't read the preceding chapters.

With that said, the roots of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants and between urban and agricultural lifestyles has been a constant through-line that makes this book a more compelling read than a 1000-year history really ought to be. History is not only documented in this book, but helpfully interpreted, showing how movements rise and fall in popular opinion, and how many of the great struggles continue through successive generations of Irish citizens. I recommend it from start to finish.

[Elsbeth Kwant · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently written, very interesting book on Irish history. I am impressed by the sheer intellectual effort, the compelling storytelling and insightful asides. The book focuses both on 'big people': St. Patrick, The O'Neill, Kildare, De Valeran and big stories' Catholic-Protestant relations, Anglo-Irish history, economics and demography, but without ever becoming just a boring summing up.
I have been reading this book in the sun over the Easter weekend, I don't think many history books could have been gripping enough for that! Very well done.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book. I wanted an overview before a trip to Ireland and this appears comprehensive. Killeen made some of the more thorny parts of Britain's relationship to Ireland and Ulster's relationship to the Republic of Ireland more understandable. It appeared to me that the author tried to be objective and explained the points of view of each side.

An easy, fun read.

[Martti · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to have perspective. Of other places, people, culture, history. I found Killeen's all encompassing 300-page book exactly at the right resolution. Not too long, but not fast forwarding too much. I love how one can always find parallels between people and countries. For example to simplify a lot with a little smirk in the corner of my eye:
+ both Estonians and Irish have been invaded multiple times by multiple different parties
+ none have desired to conquer outside their borders
+ there has always been a big eastern neighbor looming over, and they both favor the color red (Russian red army and Russian/Soviet flags, etc)
+ both had an educational and national ascension right before the independence declared around the same time - after the first world war (1918 and 1922)
+ both economies were pretty terrible after the second world war, although for different reasons - the Irish were backward close-minded conservative catholics and Estonians were under Soviet union's extreme closed and rather stupid regime
+ both are in EU and have been helped to get on track to a brighter future

There are of course the same amount of differences as there are things in common. Like the fact that there were open terrorist warfare in Northern Ireland only quite recently. I think it was mentioned something about 1972 and 2000 bombings. Basically it's the Gaza sector or Palestine, right in the middle of Western Europe. But things have calmed down considerably with Sinn Fein and the IRA. And it seems maybe there could be a lesson to learn here for the other hot spots of the world, how to co-exist peacefully.

But I must say, it's pretty mind boggling how religion can destroy so many lives and peace. Protestant Christians in the North and Catholic Christians in the rest of the island. Looking from the outside, it's pretty crazy to think how an ideology can tear apart even the very same people, looking the same, speaking the same language and who have been living right next to each other all the time. The only difference is this one tiny little parameter in the statistics, that wouldn't even be noticed in a modern secular country.

Couple of more (tragic) highlights for me included the fact that around 1850 there was a great famine because the Irish favorite vegetable potato was ruined. And this meant the death of a quarter of the people and another quarter migrated away (US mostly). So 8 million became closer to 4 million. And this was the result of the royal politics of the UK, which Ireland was part of at a time. What a tragedy!

Also worth mentioning that even though there were multiple invasions, then the last 1000 years the original people remained as a peasant slave majority in the land (which is another parallel with Estonia).

And the last fun fact - Irish basically are the remaining Celts, as are their close brothers, the Scots.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review title: Biography and natural history of the Celtic Tiger
In response to my reading of Leon Uris's Trinity, a historical fiction of Ireland's struggle for independence and nationhood, I wanted to learn more about the history without the fiction. This is my response. Killeen has written a very brief survey of Irish history from prehistory through 2011 in just 300 small paperback pages. With this limited space he necessarily focuses on the big issues of political history and the occasional comments on the religious and cultural threads that in Irish history are always woven tightly into the political tapestry.

Killeen makes good use of the few words he has room for here. I learned that the big historical divides are more complex and deeper than I had known before. Not just Catholic vs Protestant and English vs Irish, but

--Old English vs New English
--North vs South
--Crown vs colony
--landlord vs tenant
--unionist vs nationalist
--political activists vs militant revolutionaries
--Anglicans vs Presbyterians
--New Light charismatics vs Old Light Calvinists
--Gaelic revivalists vs English cultural adopters

And the divides cut in unexpected, shifting, and multidimensional ways. I was interested to learn of the depth of the divide within the Protestant doctrinal groups in the 17th through 19th centuries and how those divides directly influenced the 20th and the separation of the island and the union and disunion with England.

The brevity leaves little room for documentation of cultural and literary interest, influences, and ideas except where they intersect with the political history. Yeats gets four brief mentions, and musical superpower U2 none. Indeed the last two decades seem summed up in a rush. Perhaps another 50 pages to cover this ground in more depth could have been allowed within the title's adjective.

But Killeen provides exactly what is promised and satisfies the reader's desire for a basic grounding in Irish history. And he provides recommendations for deeper dives with a bibliographical essay on sources at the end.

[Annm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this book in preparation for a trip to Ireland and finished it just in time. I don't know how long I'll remember all I've learned, but I knew enough of the history to appreciate what the 100 year commemoration of the 1916 uprising was all about.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it really difficult to read modern history. I feel so bad for the people who died and for sectarianism ( both ways).
Love reading about the Celts, Anglo saxons, Tudors and Stuart's.
One King George was so drunk he had to be let off from arriving with ostentation.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm planning a trip to Ireland next year so I'm prepping with some good Irish history. I decided to start here, mostly drawn in by the title. I figured this would give me a good overview and then I could narrow my focus onto the parts that interested me most.

Killeeen faced a daunting challenge - giving an entire country's history in 300ish pages. I'm impressed with how well he did it.

The biggest thing for me was that I could not keep track of anybody. There were about 2 bajillion names in this book and I finally just gave up trying, figuring I'd check out some other history books and get the deets then. If I had grown up in Ireland learning this history in school and just wanted a refresher, I think this book would be awesome. For a complete outsider who knows basically nothing, it was confusing. If he had included a glossary of names and a timeline, it would have been exceedingly helpful. Another thing I would've appreciated is pronunciation guides for the Gaelic terms. I always like those in books.

I did get a better understanding of all the animosity between Protestants and Catholics and how it stemmed from relations with England going back centuries. England really liked bossing all their colonies around. Ireland is a wee bit different though, they had a different relationship then other countries England claimed control over because of it's proximity.

I also finally understand how the whole split with Northern Ireland happened and what is really meant by "Bloody Sunday." See, up to this point I've just heard these terms mentioned on TV shows without really knowing what it all meant. He showed how the IRA rose up to become a terrorist group and why some Irish thought that was the only way.

Killeen tries to remain neutral, but you can tell he's definitely miffed with England. Every once in a while he'd drop in these subtly snarky remarks that I really appreciated.

I am excited to read more about Ireland and I absolutely can't wait until I visit! It's going to be AWESOME! I've only been to Dublin for a few nights and I fell instantly in love. I've dreamed of going back to explore the country ever since.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super potted overview of Irish history from prehistoric times to today; capturing the whole subject within 300 pages or so is no mean feat and it's an achievement Killeen pulls off with no little wit. It's a balanced account too - the excesses of extremism are analysed dispassionately while the book's publication after the 2008 crisis which almost brought the country to its knees undoubtedly changes the perspective.

That Nationalism hasn't always been equal to Catholicism is something I did not know - and the history of Ireland is far from the black and white representation of polar opposites that it is sometimes painted as. There are so many important topics to analyse and a book of double the length might have still seemed short but if, like me, you find keeping up with the complexity of current affairs a challenge as events ensue and you want to get up to speed on the key moments from the distant and recent past, it's a brilliant crammer.

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently did one of those ancestry DNA test. When the results came back I was surprised to learn that I was 60% Irish. This led me to begin a further investigation into my ancestry and I also wanted to read more about Ireland. I knew very little but didn't want to tackle a full blown history text. So when i chose 'A Brief History of Ireland' I was expecting it to be concise. I was not disappointed and it was fun to read about a land that I had no idea I was descended from. I recommend the book for those that don't want an exhaustive history text but want enough information to understand the full history of Ireland.

[Luca Bielski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was good. It's humorously and beautifully written, and explores the fascinating history of a country that seems to have been at constant war on many fronts for hundreds of years—against itself and others. The names are unpronounceable and hilarious, and while Killeen does tend to jump around geographically, which can be confusing at the start, one quickly learns the general locations he's referring to. It goes into enough detail to provide context, but not too much that it becomes boring. Like it says on the back cover, this feels like the "perfect introduction to the Irish story."

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of history in a not so large book. I know this was a "brief history" but I did find myself wishing the author would have expanded on a few things a little further. So I guess you could say this book piqued my interest to read more in depth histories of the things I was particularly interested in. My only real complaint is that the writing style was a little dusty for me personally and too many times it went a little text bookish. Overall - interesting.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I feel like Killeen's treatment of such an incredibly vast and complex history is generally fair and even-handed. I only give the text 3/5 stars, however, because I think the that the task he set before himself - writing on this subject in brief - is impossible. He gave the impossible a valiant effort though.

Also, it could use a new addition with some reflection on the collapse of the devolved government in Belfast and the waning of the Celtic Tiger.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"People who can put that much bad history behind them can do anything to which they aspire."

[David Ellcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written, wide-ranging history of the island of Ireland. Very occasionally the effort to be brief comes at the expense of clarity, but Killeen has an easygoing style which means the book never feels like a course text book.

[Terry Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is incredibly well written, maybe too well written and academic for a mere plebeian like myself. But after battling through many incredible words I had to google on every page, came an understanding of why Ireland and Irish people are the way we are.

This probably wasn’t the best place to start getting a more basic and well rounded knowledge of Ireland so I’ll likely revisit the book but I enjoyed it anyway.

Takeaways are that as an island, we’ve always been going through it (mainly thanks to the British wanting to keep a hold of us lol). We’ve always been small and always will be, but the courage, determination and resourcefulness of the people constantly displayed in the book, makes me very proud to be a part of it.

Ireland forever baby.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting summary of Irish history, well written

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bang on em, big shout out to Irish Catholics

[Scott Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is a “brief” history it is still pretty dense. Though I understand that it’s hard to keep the whole history of a country to 300 pages. The author did a remarkable job in keeping it moving while hitting the high points. He also included an excellent biographical essay at the end with further reading recommendations.

I had a little trouble with the book because I knew nothing about the history of Ireland, and Ireland generally, when I started. Most of the names were foreign to me so I needed to reference Wikipedia a lot. But this made a good learning experience and I was able to supplement my notes with info I got from other sources. I plan to read other books about Irish history and this gave me a good foundation. I’m sure I will refer back to this as I get into other works.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for a basic history but if you’re unfamiliar with the subject you’ll need to do some additional digging.

[Grady Ormsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Brief History of Ireland: Land, People, History by Richard Killeen is necessarily brief and must omit a great deal. It begins at the dawn of history 12,500 years ago and goes to the decline of the Celtic Tiger in the early Twenty-first Century. Ireland has been shaped by many things over the centuries, but three factors have predominated: migration, sovereignty and religion.

Perhaps more so than most other countries, Ireland has been shaped by the movement of people. There have been successive waves of invasion, migration and engineered settlement. Each wave had momentous influence. Ireland is a blend of successive cultures from the Celts, the Vikings, the Normans, the Gaelic resurgence, the Norman decline, the Anglo-Scots and the Huguenots.

In the Tudor era of the Fifteenth Century Ireland became the first in England’s global collection of imperial colonies. Irish land was long used as a system of rewards to those loyal to the crown. Often, when the monarch changed, especially if there was an accompanying religious change, a new division of real estate went along with it. Ireland’s relationship with England has been dominated by the history of Risings (1641, 1798, 1803, 1848, 1867 and 1916) as the Irish people tried to establish their own sovereignty and destiny. The last era of turmoil beginning in the late 1960’s at least got a new name: The Troubles.

Killeen argues that religion was decisive in all this: Ireland remained substantially Catholic, but there are profound influences and conflicts with Calvinism and Anglicanism. Often the religious strife was a thin disguise for the socio/political underpinnings at the source.

Killeen discuses all the major eras (from the Ascendancy to the Irish Free State), the personalities (from Kildare to Paisley), and the factions (the Gaelic League to the Provos and Sinn Fein).

Besides political events and personalities Killeen also writes about the richness of Irish culture, literature, poetry, art, theatre, dance and folkloric traditions.

I come from a Scots/Irish background. It was fascinating to read about my heritage. Go to the
History section of the library, pull down a few volumes and get to know your people.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of Irish history for anyone that's interested but hasn't read much before. I am from the North myself, and even so, this book filled in the many (many many many) holes that the education system left in my understanding of the Island. From what I can tell, the author is fairly unbiased, never embracing romantic nationalism, nor intentionally downplaying the tragedies and conditions of which it was symptomatic. I did sense a couple of hot takes, although the aforementioned impartiality made these easy to identify as the author's opinion, which is valuable in its own respect. The greatest problem I had with the book was that the period 1200s-1700s or so was covered in detail, but mostly with respect to the aristocrats and colonists of the era, not so much with the common people (native or otherwise). However, this is understandable, as popular sources from the period are probably quite lacking, and the common people did come back into play from 1800, particularly in the later sections on the North, which I found some of the most interesting.

[Candice Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I literally threw up my hands at page 250 and yelled, "THAT'S IT, I'M OUT!" The offending word was "indeed," which I had counted 20 times by page 10. Is it possible to write a good history book without being fucking academic? If so, let me know.

This IS an insanely thorough look at Irish history, though...I have pages dog-eared and highlighted all over the place. But next time I'll just download the BBC documentary.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one read more like a textbook, but it gave me the background info I was looking for and gave me more context to some of the Irish fiction I have been reading lately.

[Shehroze Ameen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is worth reading in full. It is legitimately a brief but fair retelling of the history of Ireland, especially in the context of how the country became what it did.

In fact, it also provides a background that is important when considering the development of the country post independence. It is a reasonable companion work to anything by Tim Pat Coogan

The detailed insights into why the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland are hateful towards each other, as well as the mindset which resulted in the Irish efforts to thwart invaders are also provided key details and are given weight in the context of the country itself.

These become important because it also manages to clarify key details which were missing in books which talk about the independence movement of Ireland, but often brush aside the controversial actions that had resulted in the inevitable need for independence. It also gives key insights into how the country had changed from an agricultural, mostly backward system, to the modern corporate hub which it has become today. In fact, a lot of qualities which work towards the long term betterment of the country are given insight especially post-independence.

However, for those who are wondering why they should read this book, here's the major points:

It covers the entire period when it was a hub for monks to preserve Christianity in Western Europe and through it, establish major documentation that was beneficial to the stability of the religion.

It provides insights into how the country was taken by conquest in the early 15th and 16th Century, even providing insights into how the hatred of Catholics was brought about because of atrocities committed by the Catholics - yes, even they committed atrocities in the country.

It also provides feedback for how the Catholic identity in the South of Ireland (modern Republic of Ireland) were different from Catholic identity in the North of Ireland (modern Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and is the subject of The Troubles). Substantially, it also provides insights into how the Catholics and Protestants in the south were uniquely united in their attempts towards establishing a country united in outlook and form - something that would not happen since Northern Ireland would always remain a bone of contention.

These backgrounds become very important when taking into account the general identity of the country, and furthermore, this book is a must read especially if you plan on heading there for studies, work, or immigration. Worth reading in full.

[Barksdale Penick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good survey history of the island nation. The introduction lets the reader know this is a modern history when the author tells us he will not be recounting the "freedom narrative," which made me realize I was expecting that, at least in part. I expect a history written not that many years ago wouldn't use that phrase.

The book is about 300 pages and does not require much background to appreciate, which I found to be the case with a couple of other histories I tried earlier. On occasion I did have that "I am reading a history book" feeling, but mostly it flowed very smoothly. From the early days of Saint Patrick through the centuries of domination by the Catholic church and monasteries, Ireland was isolated until its riches lured the Vikings. I find it fascinating that there were no urban areas whatsoever before the Vikings, so that the monasteries were the only targets for plunder. From there through the years of Irish kings until the English gained domination in 1690 through their ouster in 1922, this book frankly sets forth the brutal treatment of the Irish. I had never before considered that the potato famine in the 1840s was the last famine in Europe, which had over the millennia seen famines in all sorts of places for all sorts of reasons, but this was in a province of the richest and most powerful country in the world. It staggers the mind, and the English blamed the Irish and used the famine to wrest even more land from the Irish. No wonder the Irish hated the English so. The population of Ireland dropped from 8 million to 4 million in the last half of the 19th century through famine and immigration.

And from there Killeen covers the 20th century and helped me to understand more of the events that filled the newspapers during my lifetime. And I do wonder if Brexit, assuming it happens, will bring the Irish people, North and South together, as barriers are places between Northern Ireland and Britain rather than between North and South.

A good choice for a modern survey.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book is exactly what is appears to be: a high-level survey of 2000 years of Irish history. As such, reading it comes off a lot like your high-school history courses, where the main goal was keeping the names, dates, and battles in your head long enough to be able to regurgitate them for the test. It doesn't help that Killeen often fails to follow through on premises he sets up. At one point, he characterizes Hugh O'Neill as "one of the greatest figures in Irish history," but O'Neill exits the stage three pages later without Killeen having make clear exactly what O'Neill did to earn that accolade. Plus, the focus on the book is primarily on Irish political history, which made it a bit of a yawn for someone with more of an interest in social and cultural history. But Killeen's writing style is clear and readable, and he's not a fanboy; he's not shy about calling Ireland's leaders out for the (many) times they've let their people down. If you're looking for a starting place to learn about Ireland, you could do worse.

[M. Apple · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend reading this book (and all historical overview volumes) a bit at a time over the course of several weeks.

It takes the author 150 pages to get from 7,000 BCE to the Act of Union in 1801, then takes another 180 pages to survive until 2009.

That’s a lot of history.

Some names are familiar, some not so. Some are famous, some are obscure. But I can’t deny the history of the Emerald Isle remains fascinating - and is still very much a work in progress.

The lack of any images is a major drawback. Maps, for instance, of key military events and photos of key politicians would be helpful.

But the language is accessible, if dense at times (especially in the latter half with names).

The sense of humor comes across throughout - the author is not an academic, but an historian, which means he feels free to editorialize.

A decent overview and introduction to other, more detailed volumes (which the author helpfully summarizes at the end of the book).

[Sandis Sauka · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Brief History of Ireland" by Richard Killeen offers a concise yet comprehensive journey through the rich tapestry of Ireland's past, illuminating its vibrant culture, tumultuous politics, and resilient spirit. For those recently acquainted with Dublin (like me), Killeen's narrative serves as an invaluable companion, deepening understanding of the city's layered heritage and the broader context of the nation. Through exploring Ireland's history, readers gain a profound appreciation for its people and their enduring contributions to literature, music, and global affairs, enriching their connection to the captivating landscapes and warm hospitality encountered firsthand. This engaging primer not only informs but also inspires a deeper exploration of Ireland's multifaceted identity, making it an essential read for both newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike.

[Joaquim Alvarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excel·lent síntesi de la història d'Irlanda, que es llegeix en unes poques hores i que sintetitza brillantment l'apassionant història d'aquesta jove nació. Bona tria del material gràfic. L'única objecció: sembla que l'autor sigui víctima de l'actual corrent anomenada "políticament correcte" (en català: "som gent de pau"...), les referències a la violència del segle XX són gairebé inexistents: cap menció als "Bloody Sundays", ni al de 1920 ni al de 1972; i es passa molt de puntetes pels "troubles". A més, algun error històric puntual (Felip II intentant envair l'illa el 1602... quatre anys després de la seva mort), però si l'objectiu és compilar en unes poques pàgines 2.500 anys d'història d'una nació, s'aconsegueix amb escreix i amb resultats òptims.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the sort of uptight person who doesn't like to travel somewhere new without knowing something about the history and culture of the people on whom I am inflcting my dumb American self. While this is not the most entertaining read of all time, you will indeed get a good sweeping history of Ireland from the prehistoric era all the way to "whew, aren't we glad we joined the EU" modern times. Political upheavals are discussed in detail over cultural or literary history, which does mean it feels like some darker issues with the Catholic church are not as centered as one may want. Still, a good primer to read before travelling to Ireland, if you don't want to show up and ask the locals too many stupid questions.