Ribbon Societies in Nineteenth-Century Ireland and its Diaspora
The Persistence of Tradition
Ribbon Societies in Nineteenth-Century Ireland and its Diaspora
The Persistence of Tradition
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Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 9781786941350
Number of Pages: 360
Published: 30/09/2018
This is the first full-length study of Irish Ribbonism, tracing the development of the movement from its origins in the Defender movement of the 1790s to the latter part of the century when the remnants of the Ribbon tradition found solace in a new movement: the quasi-constitutional affinities of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Placing Ribbonism firmly within Ireland’s long tradition of secret societies, this book shows that, due to its diversity and adaptability, it stood apart from other similar bodies and showed remarkable longevity not matched by its contemporaries. The book describes the wider context of Catholic struggles for improved standing, explores traditions and networks for association, and it describes external impressions. Drawing on rich archives in the form of state surveillance records, `show trial’ proceedings and press reportage, the book shows that Ribbonism was a sophisticated and durable underground network drawing together various strands of the rural and urban Catholic populace in Ireland and Britain. Ribbon Societies in Nineteenth-Century Ireland and Britain is a fascinating study that demonstrates Ribbonism operated more widely than previous studies have revealed.
Introduction: Defining and Refining Ribbonism1. Out of Defenderism: Ribbonism in the Early Nineteenth Century2. Ribbon Networks in the 1820s: A Revolutionary Moment3. Ribbonism, O’Connellism and Catholicism in the 1820s and 1830s4. The Transnational World of Richard Jones, 1835-425. Catholic Collectivism at Home and Abroad during the Famine Period6. Ribbonmen in their Urban Communities during the 1850s7. From Ribbonism to Hibernianism in the Post-Famine Diaspora8. Ribbonmen, Fenians and Hibernians: Clashes and Convergences from the 1870sConclusion: Ribbonism: ‘An Accretion of Mythical Subject Matter’?
Reviews'An important contribution to the corpus of scholarship on secret societies, violence and politics in nineteenth-century Ireland.'
Jay R. Roszman, Irish Historical Studies
'This is an excellent study, meticulously researched and lucidly written. The considerable detail adds to the interest and value of the work by opening up avenues for further research into this elusive and yet very real world of Irish subversives transnationally in the nineteenth century.'
Maura Cronin, Studia Hibernica
'A thorough excavation of not just the perceptions of Ribbonism but also the workings of the "official mind" in Dublin Castle during the first few decades of the nineteenth century.'
John O'Donovan, Irish Studies Review
'Hughes and MacRaild's study on Ribbonism is to be commended for recalibrating our gaze towards these too often neglected decades, and years, and the lower class voices which filled them.'
Kerron O Luain, Dublin Review of Books
'An outstanding work of scholarship, one that is authoritative, substantial and carefully constructed...The work makes a substantial contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Irish secret societies, specifically Ribbonism, and to a whole range of characters and forces associated with such bodies... Stylish and engaging, Ribbon Societies in Nineteenth-Century Ireland and its Diaspora is strongly recommended.'
Laurence Geary, History: The Journal of the Historical Association
