Land is All That Matters: The Struggle That Shaped Irish History

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In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived off the land in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived on the land as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority of the population outside the north-east of the country. Land was vital. But most of it was owned by a class of Protestant, English and often aristocratic landlords. The dream of having more control over their farms, even of owning them, drove many of the most explosive conflicts in the Irish countryside. The struggle for the land was crucial in Irish history. In this vast and epic narrative, Myles Dungan explores two hundred years of agrarian conflict from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War Two. Told in two parts, the book examines pivotal moments in Irish history: the rise of 'moonlighting', the infamous Whiteboys and Rightboys, the insurrection of Captain Rock, the Tithe War of 183136, the Great Famine of 1845 that devastated the country and drastically reduced the Irish population, and the Land War of 18781909, which ended by transferring almost all the landlords' holdings to their tenants. This was an agrarian revolution that fundamentally shaped modern Ireland. These events take place against the backdrop of prevailing British rule and stark class and wealth inequality. Land Is All that Matters is a sweeping, immersive story that captures both the human experience and the global relationships at the heart of Irish history.

Reviews

Writing with a sardonic and stylish wit, in this probing work Myles Dungan gets to the heart of the Irish obsession with land. * Paul Bew *
Praise for Four Killings: 'Dungan knows his history; he also knows how to tell a story... A gem of a book' David McCullagh, RT Culture; 'A vivid and chilling narrative... Confronts uncomfortable questions that still need answering' Roy Foster; 'Sober and intelligent... Dungan does a fine job of showing that little people can make history too' Andrew Lynch, Business Post; 'Narrative history, told through a unique prism' * Irish Sunday Independent *

Author Bio

Myles Dungan is a broadcaster and historian. He presents The History Show on RT Radio 1 and is an adjunct lecturer and Fulbright scholar in the School of History and Archives, University College, Dublin. Dungan has compiled and presented award-winning historical documentaries, and is the author of numerous works on Irish and American history, including Four Killings: Land Hunger, Murder and A Family in the Irish Revolution. He holds a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin.