Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, the Somme and the Politics of Memory in Ireland

by Richard Grayson, Fearghal McGarry (Editor)

The year 1916 witnessed two events that would profoundly shape both politics and commemoration in Ireland over the course of the following century. Although the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme were important historical events in their own right, their significance also lay in how they came to be understood as iconic moments in the emergence of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach drawing on history, politics, anthropology and cultural studies, this volume explores how the memory of these two foundational events has been constructed, mythologised and revised over the course of the past century. The aim is not merely to understand how the Rising and the Somme came to exert a central place in how the past is viewed in Ireland, but to explore wider questions about the relationship between history, commemoration and memory.

Genres: History, Ireland

290 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

aka Richard Grindal

Scotland and France have always had a close affinity, so it was only natural that Richard Grayson, a Scot by birth, should have taken a special interest when reading history at Cambridge in that most colourful period of French history, La Belle Epoque. All his Inspector Gautier novels are set in that period. He now lives in London.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of essays was really good -- I appreciated how it deals with the Rising and the Somme. Very interesting scholarship from excellent writers.