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The Eternal Paddy: Irish Identity and the British Press, 1798–1882
In The Eternal Paddy, Michael de Nie examines anti-Irish prejudice, Anglo-Irish relations, and the construction of Irish and British identities in nineteenth-century Britain. This book provides a new, more inclusive approach to the study of Irish identity as perceived by Britons and demonstrates that ideas of race were inextricably connected with class concerns and religious prejudice in popular views of both peoples. De Nie suggests that while traditional anti-Irish stereotypes were fundamental to British views of Ireland, equally important were a collection of sympathetic discourses and a self-awareness of British prejudice. In the pages of the British newspaper press, this dialogue created a deep ambivalence about the Irish people, an ambivalence that allowed most Britons to assume that the root of Ireland’s difficulties lay in its Irishness.
Drawing on more than ninety newspapers published in England, Scotland, and Wales, The Eternal Paddy offers the first major detailed analysis of British press coverage of Ireland over the course of the nineteenth century. This book traces the evolution of popular understandings and proposed solutions to the "Irish question," focusing particularly on the interrelationship between the press, the public, and the politicians. The work also engages with ongoing studies of imperialism and British identity, exploring the role of Catholic Ireland in British perceptions of their own identity and their empire.
Drawing on more than ninety newspapers published in England, Scotland, and Wales, The Eternal Paddy offers the first major detailed analysis of British press coverage of Ireland over the course of the nineteenth century. This book traces the evolution of popular understandings and proposed solutions to the "Irish question," focusing particularly on the interrelationship between the press, the public, and the politicians. The work also engages with ongoing studies of imperialism and British identity, exploring the role of Catholic Ireland in British perceptions of their own identity and their empire.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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January 18, 2021
I have no idea how the description got mixed up for this book but ...
"The Eternal Paddy: Irish Identity and the British Press, 1798-1882" examines noted events in Irish history, the reaction of the British people and government, and how the British newspapers covered said events. It includes sections on 1798 and the Union, the Great Famine of 1845-52, the Fenian Era of 1867-70, and the Land War of 1979-82. There are also several cartoons from publications such as "Punch" that highlight portrayals of the Irish throughout these time periods.
I bought this book back in 2004 at the recommendation of my advisor when I was writing a senior thesis on English newspaper accounts of the Great Famine. At the time, I only read the one section, so I decided to pick it up and read the rest of it.
I will say it is a very dry history book, and a little difficult to get through. It does have a lot of really good information, and the insights into what the press was saying at the time were eye opening (just like today, newspapers differed and there were those you could expect to be on one side of an issue and those you could expect to be on the other, but even then they didn't always fall in rank and file).
In all, I don't feel like this is a book for someone with a passing interest in Irish history or a beginner who doesn't know much about Irish history. Even having read up on it quite a bit, there were times I felt a little bit lost.
I doubt I'll ever re-read this book, but I might hold onto it just for the pictures, most of which illustrate the very harshest views of the Irish. There were very few, if any, pictures that seemed to side with the more sympathetic views some of the newspapers took.
"The Eternal Paddy: Irish Identity and the British Press, 1798-1882" examines noted events in Irish history, the reaction of the British people and government, and how the British newspapers covered said events. It includes sections on 1798 and the Union, the Great Famine of 1845-52, the Fenian Era of 1867-70, and the Land War of 1979-82. There are also several cartoons from publications such as "Punch" that highlight portrayals of the Irish throughout these time periods.
I bought this book back in 2004 at the recommendation of my advisor when I was writing a senior thesis on English newspaper accounts of the Great Famine. At the time, I only read the one section, so I decided to pick it up and read the rest of it.
I will say it is a very dry history book, and a little difficult to get through. It does have a lot of really good information, and the insights into what the press was saying at the time were eye opening (just like today, newspapers differed and there were those you could expect to be on one side of an issue and those you could expect to be on the other, but even then they didn't always fall in rank and file).
In all, I don't feel like this is a book for someone with a passing interest in Irish history or a beginner who doesn't know much about Irish history. Even having read up on it quite a bit, there were times I felt a little bit lost.
I doubt I'll ever re-read this book, but I might hold onto it just for the pictures, most of which illustrate the very harshest views of the Irish. There were very few, if any, pictures that seemed to side with the more sympathetic views some of the newspapers took.
Displaying 1 of 1 review