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The Shortest History of Ireland
Hardcover
About the author
James Hawes
39 books82 followersJames Hawes grew up in Gloucestershire, Edinburgh and Shropshire. He took a First in German at Hertford College, Oxford, then did a postgrad theatre studies in Cardiff, Wales. Having failed as an actor, he worked as an English teacher in Spain. In 1985-6 he was in charge of CADW excavations at the now-UNESCO World Heritage site of Blaenavon Ironworks. He took a PhD on Nietzsche and German literature 1900-1914 at University College, London 1987-90, then lectured in German at Maynooth University (Ollscoil Mhá Nuad) in Ireland between 1989 and 1991 before doing so at Sheffield University and Swansea University.
James has published six novels, all with Jonathan Cape. He turned to creative non-fiction with a Kafka anti-biography, Excavating Kafka (2008) which became the subject of a BBC documentary. In 2015, Englanders and Huns was shortlisted for the Paddy Power Political Books of the Year 2015. The Shortest History of Germany, published in May 2017, reached #2 in the Sunday Times bestseller charts in April 2018, being pipped for #1 only by Noah Yuval Harari. The Shortest History of England appeared in October 2020 and reached #4 in the Times bestseller charts in July 2021.
James has reviewed and/or written for every UK broadsheet, on topics from DIY to Prince Philip. His journalistic high-points to date were the cover-story for The New Statesman in September 2017 and the long read The England Delusion in Prospect in August 2021; this was publicly described by Prof Ciaran Martin, CB, founding Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, as “a really brilliant essay on the historical origins of UK constitutional tensions”. He has appeared on Radio 4 Today, Channel 4 News, Sky News and GB News.
In 2022, he was “series story consultant” and key on-screen commentator in the eight-part BBC TV series “Art that Made Us”. He also wrote the accompanying book.
His next book will be The Shortest History of Ireland.
James has published six novels, all with Jonathan Cape. He turned to creative non-fiction with a Kafka anti-biography, Excavating Kafka (2008) which became the subject of a BBC documentary. In 2015, Englanders and Huns was shortlisted for the Paddy Power Political Books of the Year 2015. The Shortest History of Germany, published in May 2017, reached #2 in the Sunday Times bestseller charts in April 2018, being pipped for #1 only by Noah Yuval Harari. The Shortest History of England appeared in October 2020 and reached #4 in the Times bestseller charts in July 2021.
James has reviewed and/or written for every UK broadsheet, on topics from DIY to Prince Philip. His journalistic high-points to date were the cover-story for The New Statesman in September 2017 and the long read The England Delusion in Prospect in August 2021; this was publicly described by Prof Ciaran Martin, CB, founding Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, as “a really brilliant essay on the historical origins of UK constitutional tensions”. He has appeared on Radio 4 Today, Channel 4 News, Sky News and GB News.
In 2022, he was “series story consultant” and key on-screen commentator in the eight-part BBC TV series “Art that Made Us”. He also wrote the accompanying book.
His next book will be The Shortest History of Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 9, 2026
I strongly recommend this to any Irish person or, indeed, and English person wishing to understand Irish history. It’s a quick canter through all known history of the island of Ireland and of course is dominated by the relationship between Ireland and its cantankerous neighbours. I studied Irish history as a teenager and the startling revisions to Irish history and its relationship to the Catholic Church, made possible by an upturning of the relationship between Church and State demonstrates how the Church abused its relationship with the Irish people centuries before more recent abuses came to light. English politics, particularly Tory politics comes in for close scrutiny but that was entirely permissible when I was a teenager. Criticism of the church wasn’t. How much can change in a few decades.
June 15, 2026
A Short History of Ireland comes across as a sweeping, tightly structured narrative that tries to compress the full arc of Irish history into a series of clear turning points, while also keeping hold of a few recurring themes that quietly shape the whole story. The book is peppered with illustrations by James Nunn which truly make this book a page-turner and very accessible.
One of the most striking threads running through the book is the idea of colonists going native—a pattern that appears again and again in different eras of Irish history, where incoming groups gradually absorb Irish language, culture, and identity rather than simply replacing them. Alongside this is a surprising corrective to common assumptions: Ireland’s population relative to Britain remained broadly comparable up until the 1840s famine, and Ireland had far more influence on British politics than is often acknowledged from an Irish perspective.
Another recurring theme is the complicated role of the Irish Catholic Church. Rather than acting simply as a nationalist force, it is often shown in opposition to Irish nationalism at key moments and frequently co-operating with the British government. This tension between religion, politics, and national identity is one of the book’s most persistent undercurrents, especially as the Church later becomes a central institution in shaping education and social order.
The early chapters, “Europe’s outlier (12,500 BC to 795 AD),” trace Ireland from the end of the Ice Age through prehistoric settlement, including Fir Bolg traditions, the arrival of the Celts, and eventually Christianity. This section highlights environmental transformation as much as human change: widespread tree-felling, the formation of bogs, and the arrival of Christian missions that not only reshaped Ireland but also radiated influence back into Europe.
The “Age of invasions (795 AD to 1250)” captures the Viking period, emphasising their role in founding Ireland’s first cities, introducing coinage systems, and participating in slave economies. This is followed by the Norman conquest, described in terms of military superiority and long-term structural change.
From 1250 to 1530, the theme shifts to “Resistance and Revival,” where the idea emerges of groups becoming “more Irish than the Irish themselves.” The Statutes of Kilkenny stand out as an attempt to enforce separation but also as evidence of cultural blending already taking place.
The period from 1520 to 1704 marks Ireland’s deeper incorporation into the English imperial system. Cromwell’s campaign and the massive redistribution of land fundamentally reshaped Irish society. Catholics were pushed toward Connaught under penal laws, which were sometimes inconsistently enforced but still deeply structuring.
The 18th century is framed around the slogan “one crown, one religion, two countries,” a period marked by penal laws, famine (including 1749), and political manoeuvring in the Irish Parliament. Wolfe Tone and 1798 receive significant attention, as does the idea that Parliament effectively “bribed” its own dissolution – valued at what would be roughly £10 billion today.
The 19th century through to 1914 is presented as Ireland’s time as a “keystone of empire". This era includes the famine, mass emigration, and a split economy: export-orientated agriculture in the east versus subsistence potato farming in the west. The Catholic Church’s post-famine resurgence is emphasised, especially its control over primary education and its preference for English-language instruction. Meanwhile, the Anglican Church declines, with many 18th-century buildings falling into disuse. Emigration patterns overwhelmingly favour English-speaking destinations, reinforcing linguistic and cultural shifts.
Socially and politically, this period also sees land reform; the rise of Paul Cullen as Ireland’s first cardinal shaping a conservative Catholic middle class; and the emergence of Fenianism, heavily supported by Irish America-where, remarkably, there were more Irish-born people in New York in 1860 than in Dublin. Charles Stewart Parnell emerges as a key political force in Westminster, leveraging American support. The Gaelic revival, led by figures like Douglas Hyde and Arthur Griffith, attempts to rebuild cultural identity and briefly unites Catholic and Protestant interests in the south, even as Belfast develops differently.
Home Rule debates dominate the late period, including the question of 4, 6, or 9 Ulster counties opting out, the formation of the UVF, and even a British Army mutiny refusing to suppress it. The book highlights how differing Liberal and Tory attitudes to Unionism profoundly shaped Irish political outcomes.
The final major historical section (1914–1922) is framed as “triumph and tragedy". It covers the 1916 Rising, gun-running at the Aud, Roger Casement’s arrest, conflicting orders, and the fragmentation of nationalist factions amid the backdrop of World War I. The execution of the leaders is contrasted sharply with the aftermath of earlier rebellions in 1848 and 1867, marking a decisive shift in public reaction and political consequences.
Later chapters move more rapidly through “De Valera’s Ireland” (1926–1959), shaped by rural landholding structures, Catholic dominance, and economic stagnation. Two landmines were left by the Empire as they left the island. 400 000 small landholders for 11 million arable acres, so 28 acres each. And a very strong Catholic church. Enter Dev who was a populist who gave the small farmers a voice. This is a new framing. His media was the Irish Press. Dev had a deliberate policy to keep Ireland backward. Economy was in tatters by 1959 and the population was at an all-time low.
Coming home 1959 to 1998 Lemass was close toDev, but he had a new policy of modernisation. JFK’s visit was forward. He started accession talks to the EEC. A whirlwind leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. It is vital to have America balancing out the imbalance between Ireland and Britain. Close examination of the always constant support of the Tories for empire and loyalists in the North.
1998 to now is the last chapter, with Brexit the big elephant not in the room. When they left the only English-speaking common-law country in the EU. The 2019 law changed to force companies to put actual manufacturing in Ireland that boosted GDP more. Ireland is the most centralised country in Europe which is a legacy of empire. 66% of people own houses and that means the totality of wealth in the country.
Overall, the book is strongest when it draws out these long continuities: cultural absorption, demographic upheaval, the recurring entanglement of church and state, and Ireland’s persistent but often underestimated role within broader British and Atlantic politics. It reads less like a simple chronology and more like a layered argument about identity—how Ireland repeatedly changes shape without ever fully losing its own.
One of the most striking threads running through the book is the idea of colonists going native—a pattern that appears again and again in different eras of Irish history, where incoming groups gradually absorb Irish language, culture, and identity rather than simply replacing them. Alongside this is a surprising corrective to common assumptions: Ireland’s population relative to Britain remained broadly comparable up until the 1840s famine, and Ireland had far more influence on British politics than is often acknowledged from an Irish perspective.
Another recurring theme is the complicated role of the Irish Catholic Church. Rather than acting simply as a nationalist force, it is often shown in opposition to Irish nationalism at key moments and frequently co-operating with the British government. This tension between religion, politics, and national identity is one of the book’s most persistent undercurrents, especially as the Church later becomes a central institution in shaping education and social order.
The early chapters, “Europe’s outlier (12,500 BC to 795 AD),” trace Ireland from the end of the Ice Age through prehistoric settlement, including Fir Bolg traditions, the arrival of the Celts, and eventually Christianity. This section highlights environmental transformation as much as human change: widespread tree-felling, the formation of bogs, and the arrival of Christian missions that not only reshaped Ireland but also radiated influence back into Europe.
The “Age of invasions (795 AD to 1250)” captures the Viking period, emphasising their role in founding Ireland’s first cities, introducing coinage systems, and participating in slave economies. This is followed by the Norman conquest, described in terms of military superiority and long-term structural change.
From 1250 to 1530, the theme shifts to “Resistance and Revival,” where the idea emerges of groups becoming “more Irish than the Irish themselves.” The Statutes of Kilkenny stand out as an attempt to enforce separation but also as evidence of cultural blending already taking place.
The period from 1520 to 1704 marks Ireland’s deeper incorporation into the English imperial system. Cromwell’s campaign and the massive redistribution of land fundamentally reshaped Irish society. Catholics were pushed toward Connaught under penal laws, which were sometimes inconsistently enforced but still deeply structuring.
The 18th century is framed around the slogan “one crown, one religion, two countries,” a period marked by penal laws, famine (including 1749), and political manoeuvring in the Irish Parliament. Wolfe Tone and 1798 receive significant attention, as does the idea that Parliament effectively “bribed” its own dissolution – valued at what would be roughly £10 billion today.
The 19th century through to 1914 is presented as Ireland’s time as a “keystone of empire". This era includes the famine, mass emigration, and a split economy: export-orientated agriculture in the east versus subsistence potato farming in the west. The Catholic Church’s post-famine resurgence is emphasised, especially its control over primary education and its preference for English-language instruction. Meanwhile, the Anglican Church declines, with many 18th-century buildings falling into disuse. Emigration patterns overwhelmingly favour English-speaking destinations, reinforcing linguistic and cultural shifts.
Socially and politically, this period also sees land reform; the rise of Paul Cullen as Ireland’s first cardinal shaping a conservative Catholic middle class; and the emergence of Fenianism, heavily supported by Irish America-where, remarkably, there were more Irish-born people in New York in 1860 than in Dublin. Charles Stewart Parnell emerges as a key political force in Westminster, leveraging American support. The Gaelic revival, led by figures like Douglas Hyde and Arthur Griffith, attempts to rebuild cultural identity and briefly unites Catholic and Protestant interests in the south, even as Belfast develops differently.
Home Rule debates dominate the late period, including the question of 4, 6, or 9 Ulster counties opting out, the formation of the UVF, and even a British Army mutiny refusing to suppress it. The book highlights how differing Liberal and Tory attitudes to Unionism profoundly shaped Irish political outcomes.
The final major historical section (1914–1922) is framed as “triumph and tragedy". It covers the 1916 Rising, gun-running at the Aud, Roger Casement’s arrest, conflicting orders, and the fragmentation of nationalist factions amid the backdrop of World War I. The execution of the leaders is contrasted sharply with the aftermath of earlier rebellions in 1848 and 1867, marking a decisive shift in public reaction and political consequences.
Later chapters move more rapidly through “De Valera’s Ireland” (1926–1959), shaped by rural landholding structures, Catholic dominance, and economic stagnation. Two landmines were left by the Empire as they left the island. 400 000 small landholders for 11 million arable acres, so 28 acres each. And a very strong Catholic church. Enter Dev who was a populist who gave the small farmers a voice. This is a new framing. His media was the Irish Press. Dev had a deliberate policy to keep Ireland backward. Economy was in tatters by 1959 and the population was at an all-time low.
Coming home 1959 to 1998 Lemass was close toDev, but he had a new policy of modernisation. JFK’s visit was forward. He started accession talks to the EEC. A whirlwind leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. It is vital to have America balancing out the imbalance between Ireland and Britain. Close examination of the always constant support of the Tories for empire and loyalists in the North.
1998 to now is the last chapter, with Brexit the big elephant not in the room. When they left the only English-speaking common-law country in the EU. The 2019 law changed to force companies to put actual manufacturing in Ireland that boosted GDP more. Ireland is the most centralised country in Europe which is a legacy of empire. 66% of people own houses and that means the totality of wealth in the country.
Overall, the book is strongest when it draws out these long continuities: cultural absorption, demographic upheaval, the recurring entanglement of church and state, and Ireland’s persistent but often underestimated role within broader British and Atlantic politics. It reads less like a simple chronology and more like a layered argument about identity—how Ireland repeatedly changes shape without ever fully losing its own.
June 29, 2026
When I saw this book I was immediately drawn to it as I realised: I’m Irish, yet I don’t really know much about the history that led to the country as I know it and the identity that so many around the world claim.
The entire history was summed up well in this book, however the complexity of it sometimes meant it was hard for me to follow.
However I enjoyed getting a general feel for the history, and look forward to learning more about specific events.
I was drawn to the theme of Irish identity, as the island became home to Normans, Saxons, catholics, protestants and more, they all adopted the Irish culture and ‘degenerated’ in the eyes of the troublesome neighbours to the east.
I was interested to see that the real conflict was between those who were “Irish”: catholic or protestant, Gaelic or Saxon alike, and the colonial imperialists who unfortunately feature heavily in the nations history.
I was also curious to see the role of the Catholic Church, as prior to this I felt that being catholic was so strongly linked to traditional Irish identity and nationalism. I got the message here that the church was largely complicit in the control of the Irish people, benefiting from it and using it for their own power and growth. It’s more complex than this I’m sure, but this is the message that I got.
I’m glad I read this, as I feel more educated about my country’s history, but the large amount of info and its complexity means I definitely need to do some more learning to understand it more deeply.
The entire history was summed up well in this book, however the complexity of it sometimes meant it was hard for me to follow.
However I enjoyed getting a general feel for the history, and look forward to learning more about specific events.
I was drawn to the theme of Irish identity, as the island became home to Normans, Saxons, catholics, protestants and more, they all adopted the Irish culture and ‘degenerated’ in the eyes of the troublesome neighbours to the east.
I was interested to see that the real conflict was between those who were “Irish”: catholic or protestant, Gaelic or Saxon alike, and the colonial imperialists who unfortunately feature heavily in the nations history.
I was also curious to see the role of the Catholic Church, as prior to this I felt that being catholic was so strongly linked to traditional Irish identity and nationalism. I got the message here that the church was largely complicit in the control of the Irish people, benefiting from it and using it for their own power and growth. It’s more complex than this I’m sure, but this is the message that I got.
I’m glad I read this, as I feel more educated about my country’s history, but the large amount of info and its complexity means I definitely need to do some more learning to understand it more deeply.
March 15, 2026
I'm a big fan of all of 'The shortest history...' books, they give you a broad understanding of a given topic that is both accessible and, for the most part, reliable.
The Ireland book is slightly different for two reasons:
1. It's very clear that Irish history is amazingly complex with group after group assimilating or migrating that is hard keep track of in a short book. I think the author is trying to give an impression of 'it's complicated' and he does this well, but it's not paricularly easy to follow.
2. Other 'Shortest Histories' are written in a more neutral tone and are much the better for it, this edition much less so, for example the author describes Brexit as "a cabal of Tories scaremonger(ing) the poor and uneducated English in to voting to leave the EU". (Incidentally, I have a great deal of sympathy for what the author has written, I'm just not sure it's the right tone for this book.)
Strangely enough, I think this is the first time I've read a 'Shortest History' and thought it need re-reading. Other editions prepare you for deeper reading, this one makes you feel that you're not there yet.
The Ireland book is slightly different for two reasons:
1. It's very clear that Irish history is amazingly complex with group after group assimilating or migrating that is hard keep track of in a short book. I think the author is trying to give an impression of 'it's complicated' and he does this well, but it's not paricularly easy to follow.
2. Other 'Shortest Histories' are written in a more neutral tone and are much the better for it, this edition much less so, for example the author describes Brexit as "a cabal of Tories scaremonger(ing) the poor and uneducated English in to voting to leave the EU". (Incidentally, I have a great deal of sympathy for what the author has written, I'm just not sure it's the right tone for this book.)
Strangely enough, I think this is the first time I've read a 'Shortest History' and thought it need re-reading. Other editions prepare you for deeper reading, this one makes you feel that you're not there yet.
April 12, 2026
Quite enjoyed this book as it’s well written but I think too focussed on military history, it would have been interesting to hear about irish art and writing more than just who battled who and where. Irish history is much more esoteric than its given credit for in this book. Though I did like the layout and the quotes, maps and diagrams which felt like a school textbook.
Would have also been nice to hear the history from an Irish scholar, rather than an English historian who is married to an Irish woman, not sure why this makes it his story to tell?
Definitely too over-simplified in parts but that is a weak criticism of a “shortest history” book. Might read his history of England…
Would have also been nice to hear the history from an Irish scholar, rather than an English historian who is married to an Irish woman, not sure why this makes it his story to tell?
Definitely too over-simplified in parts but that is a weak criticism of a “shortest history” book. Might read his history of England…
June 20, 2026
Pretty good for what it’s trying to do. It made me think and gave a lot more context for the processes of forming ethnic identity and colonization.
The question of “who is Irish?” is a significant one that I’m drawn to after reading. Norman, Anglo, Saxon, Gauls, Stuarts, Vikings, Gaelic, Scots, are all words used to describe “outsiders” who came to Ireland. Some stayed, some left, but all left their mark in one way or another. I come away with a more subjective view of ethnicity.
The question of “who is Irish?” is a significant one that I’m drawn to after reading. Norman, Anglo, Saxon, Gauls, Stuarts, Vikings, Gaelic, Scots, are all words used to describe “outsiders” who came to Ireland. Some stayed, some left, but all left their mark in one way or another. I come away with a more subjective view of ethnicity.
May 2, 2026
James Hawes’ final chapter brilliantly articulates an exciting future for the island of Ireland… one replacing partition with inclusion, diversity and most importantly peace. We all need talk more about the future we want for our island…
June 30, 2026
Superb and for such a short book surprisingly detailed. History moving at a steady pace, while still managing to give a strong sense of the life and times. Ending with a positive outlook to the future, if we can get Ireland's present right.
April 4, 2026
Bit *too* much of a whistlestop tour. Some odd choices of which events in Irish history to emphasise and which to skim over. Does a decent job overall, but perhaps bit off more than it could chew
May 21, 2026
A disappointing book.
July 5, 2026
This is a highly useful introduction to Irish history one can (as the cover promises, and I did) “read in a day.” Very useful for those with only a cursory knowledge subject.
July 7, 2026
Decent insight into Irish History, whistle stop tour told in an engaging manner.
June 25, 2026
Could have been shorter.
April 22, 2026
James Hawes does it again, with a whistlestop tour of a nation's history. Previously, it was England and Germany, this time it's Ireland. The chapters covering the period prior to 1200s are strong, with fresh and engaging interpretations. Unfortunately, thereafter, the tour doesn't work as well with Ireland as it did in the books on Germany and England. Firstly, the book is too indulgent of a pro-Irish, 'aren't we awful victims altogether' way of thinking. Secondly, the book gets too tied up in recent politics and history and embraces a very left-liberal interpretation of Irish history, where the poor oppressed people were trampled by the Church and the conservative State. We Irish like to pretend the priests and bishops fell out of the sky one day and started oppressing us, the truth is far more complicated and challenging.
For those interested in a short history of Ireland, The Irish Difference by Fergal Tobin is a better choice being both more detached and less indulgent of the myths of victimhood with which us Irish coddle ourselves.
For those interested in a short history of Ireland, The Irish Difference by Fergal Tobin is a better choice being both more detached and less indulgent of the myths of victimhood with which us Irish coddle ourselves.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews