1916: One Hundred Years of Irish Independence: From the Easter Rising to the Present

by Tim Pat Coogan

The 1916 Easter Rising and its aftermath changed Ireland for ever. The British government's execution of 14 republican rebels transformed a group hitherto perceived as cranks and troublemakers into national heroes. Those who avoided the British firing squads of May 1916 went on to plan a new - and ultimately successful - struggle for Ireland's independence, shaping their country's destiny for the century to come.

But what sort of country did they create? And to what extent does post-1916 Ireland measure up to the hopes and aspirations of 'MacDonagh and MacBride / And Connolly and Pearse'?

Best-selling historian Tim Pat Coogan offers a strongly personal perspective on the Irish century that followed the Rising - charting a flawed history that is marked as much by complacency, corruption and institutional and clerical abuse, as it is by the sacrifices and nation-building achievements of the Republic's founding fathers.

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

329 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2015

About the author

Timothy Patrick Coogan is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of the Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987. Today, he is best known for his popular and sometimes controversial books on aspects of modern Irish history, including The IRA, Ireland Since the Rising, On the Blanket, and biographies of Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Pat Coogan is a patriot. He admires the ideals set forth in the proclamation of the 1916 republic, and believes that Ireland, now emerging from a wrenching period of economic and social crisis, should look honestly at the Irish nation, reflect upon her history, and discern how great a gap remains between those ideals and reality. From the steps of the GPO, Padraig Pearse proclaimed a republic that would “guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally.” What has happen in the last hundred years to keep Ireland so far from those guarantees, that resolve?

Coogan has many answers to this question: the wounds of civil war; De Valera’s destructive combination of machiavellianism, intransigence, economic neglect, and ecclesiastical ring-kissing; the troubles; the Catholic church’s reactionary treatment of women and sexual matters in general, but particularly the disgraceful pedophilia cover-up which alienated a large percentage of the Irish population; the institutional abuse of children and other young persons in both Catholic and Protestant institutions; the corruption of civic institutions, particularly in—but not limited to—the era of the Celtic Tiger; and the neglect of real human suffering in the subsequent period of austerity, in which the “EU has turned into a debt-collecting agency for the Germans.”

Although there is much history and many illuminating anecdotes—both amusing and horrific—in these three hundred pages, neither Coogan’s profound knowledge of his subject nor his considerable story-telling skills deflect him from his central theme: the many ways in which “all the children of the nation” have not been “cherished”—and certainly not “equally”—in the course of the last hundred years.

[Len Boselovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A breezy -- often unapproachable to those with little background in Irish history -- review of the 100 years following the Rising. Coogan knows his stuff, but I found the early years hard to follow as names and political parties are bantered about on the assumption the reader is grounded enough to sing along. His tale becomes more familiar starting in the 1990s. There is a sharp focus on the sexual abuse of children perpetrated by the Catholic Church, something this former altar boy found enlightening because of his long disillusionment with the institution.

[Rob de W · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first time I cited Tim Pat Coogan in university, my college tutor burst into my room, flipped my desk, and roundhouse kicked me in the face. It was a tough lesson, but one I've never forgotten.

Coogan can be an entertaining writer, and has given the events of early 20th Ireland a platform to a much wider audience.

However, when looked at in an academic context, 1916: The Mornings After does not hold up to scrutiny. There are numerous date inaccuracies, various claims that go unsourced, and for the endnotes that he does source, over a quarter of them are Coogan citing himself.

The book's final sections comment on the cavalcade of scandals which blighted Ireland in the second half of the 20th century. These sections read like an engaging, but slightly histrionic pub rant from a friend who is quite good at history but perhaps hasn't brushed up on it recently. Numerous minor errors and again, a lack of sources, mean that Coogan's assertions become baseless conjecture. Perhaps Coogan's assertions are right, but he doesn't provide any evidence other than his own word.

When a historical book commits the cardinal sin of getting dates wrong (The founding of Sinn Fein and the Howth gun running, to name just two) you cannot trust any other statement that is presented as fact.

[Ross Mckinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

1916 was a disappointment. It's a history of Ireland since its successful revolution and the book assumes you already know the story. It's Coogan's spin on the narrative of Ireland since 1916, more than a retelling of the history itself. As a novice to Irish history, it was hard to follow key players who appear out of the blue and who you're assumed to know. Coogan is also not short of opinions. When he gets to the last third of the book, it's a serious rant about the corruption of the Irish Catholic church and its exploitation of young boys and pregnant teens. In fact, it's pretty horrifying that an organization calling itself a church could sacrifice its most innocent and then cover it up again and again. Add in the constant theme of sectarian violence between the Protestants and Catholics, and his negative views of religion seem to have been well earned. That said, it's a one-sided book, a polemic, and maybe there is only one side to the story, but I like at least a nod to balance. Recommended only those already in the know on recent Irish history or who would like confirmation of their Anti-Catholic Church biases.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase 1916 here for just $12!

Tim Pat Coogan manages to cram a lot into this book, full of anecdotes and his own opinions about Ireland since The Rising. Coogan has cemented his reputation as one of the leading writers on Ireland with this gem.

Elisa, Book Grocer

[Matt Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

I was hoping for more “history” than “economics and scandal,” but then again, current history is largely that, so … fair.

I’ve got another book that covers Irish history as a whole that I’m looking forward to.

Still, this was well written and interesting.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
This book was so dry and dull that I couldn't finish. The other book I read by Tim Pat Coogan seemed much better than this one.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough & interesting account of Irish politics and The Troubles

[Mike Fedewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to Irish history for
first time traveler to Ireland.

[Tjalling Snabilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely marvelous book, gives a great rundown of Irish History 1916 and past that date.

[Billhotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Irish Republic began, as many do, with violence, specifically the Easter Rising in 1916. This book looks at the consequences of that fateful week. Coogan finds that the idealism of the Easter rebels has been lost, especially their pledge to protect and defend all Irish citizens and treat them as equals. Coogan sees the overweening influence of the Catholic Church and hierarchy to have been a major impediment to the development of Irish society. Another problem was the rivalries carried over from the Irish Civil War, the battle between Free State supporters and the IRA in 1922-23. He puts much of the blame on Eamon DeValera, a brilliant politician ,but a hypocritical self- server,who incited the Civil War then turned his back on his old comrades and gave the Church a virtual veto over social legislation. DeValera maintained Irish neutrality in World War II, but was out of office when the Irish republic was declared in 1948. By the 1950's Ireland was a drab, static, poor society in which the alternatives for intelligent young people were emigration or the religious life. In the 1960's Coogan was a young journalist. He was optimistic that Ireland was posed to join the EEU and become a modern nation. But the reemergence of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen and bankers undermined his optimism. Scandals rocked the Church and government, then there came the collapse of the "Celtic Tiger" in 2008. The burden of repaying the ECB and IMF loans fell on the average citizen and on the most vulnerable. Ireland is now recovering from the financial crisis but remains an unequal society without legislative safeguards needed to prevent another panic. The "good old boy" network remains intact. Emigration remains a problem as Ireland loses many of its brightest young people. Ireland is a small country, inevitably everyone who is anyone knows everyone else who is anyone. Cronyism is rampant, there is little difference between the two major parties other than a desire for power. Coogan laments that after a century, his countrymen have forgotten the idealism of its founders. The problem may be that so many of those founders like Padraic Pearse, James Connolly and Michael Collins died for their country. By a process of reverse evolution, the weak survived to run the country. It's as though Washington, Hamilton and Madison had been killed before 1787.

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of the book became bogged down with names and dates in such quick succession that I got lost since there was no "meat" or story to be had between the names and dates.

Coming from Irish decent I am reminded of the conflicts that my family went through in Ireland and America. Some discussions especially those concerning the Catholic Church are ones that shook the foundation of our faith for generations.

While I did agree with the author on many of his opinions concerning the Church's denial to admit any blame or restitution to their numerous victims of abuse.

I continued to agree with the author concerning the Banking Crash that was felt around the world, but when he blamed the American's for allowing Lehman Brothers to fail, I almost threw the book in the garbage can. The US Government failed to bail them out, not the average American who lost his/her job while the Bankers still received bonuses.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book six stars. Tim Pat Coogan is a treasure and I hope he is widely read both in Ireland and by anyone in the world interested in Ireland. I think it was H.L. Mencken that was described as writing with a pen dipped in acid - so does Coogan. He provides an accessible and detailed overview of the Rising, the Civil War, and then a series of topics in the subsequent history of the country, including the abuse scandals and the changing role of the Church, the financial crisis, and the long government of Eamon De Valera (for whom he has little use and describes as a demagogue right up there with Trump). I'm glad I still have on my shelves his biographies of De Valera and of Michael Collins so that I can re-read them. As the US spirals into political chaos, it is sobering to read of a country where there is even more collusion between politicians and business elites than there is here.

[Bruce Reiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read about Irish History leading up to 1916 and the rise of the Irish nation state. The last third is devoted to cultural issues brought on by the Roman Catholic religion and the corruption within the Government. For those outsiders who track contemporary Ireland on Facebook the book is a good read. The author has his biases but names names and is not afraid to voice his convictions. The language is easy with a few Irishisms thrown in to confuse the tourist.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am second generation Irish and found Tim Pat's historical look at the foundation/formation of The Irish Republic, through modern day Ireland, to be a educational and enjoyable read.

This was my first experience reading Mr. Coogan's tremendous writing, and it will not be my last. I urge anyone of Irish descent to take the time to read this excellent book.

[Susan J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very eye opening book. I'd heard of the Easter Rising before but never knew the details of it and also all the fighting among Irishmen that occurred in the years afterward. The author is definitely a Michael Collins fan and has some harsh words about Eamon de Valera. The author definitely has harsh criticism for the Irish government in the decades afterwards.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Overview of mainly the Republic's history

[Heather G · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting

Tim Pat Coogan is the leading authority as far as I'm concerned. Every book he writes is fascinating and on point.

[Pat Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice rundown and recap of Ireland’s history since the Rising, with a strong takedown of de Valera and a brutal expose of the corrupt influence the Catholic Church had on Irish culture and society.

[Paganus Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder what might have been different had Michael Collins not been killed?