Small Differences: Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants, 1815-1922, an International Perspective (McGill Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

Deals directly with the question of whether cultural differences between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics have had significant and casually important effects on the behaviour of the two groups. The conclusion of the author's analysis is that, based on the research of the Irish in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States as well as in Ireland itself, there are few significant social or economic differences between the two groups. In actual fact the author found indications of fundamental similarities. In view of this observation, the author asks the question that given the demonstrated opinions of Irish Catholics and Protestants, what factors in Irish society have kept them at loggerheads? The author focuses on Irish taboos against inter-marriage, the segregation in education, and the nature of Protestant and Catholic belief. The assumption that Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics are fundamentally different is central to modern Irish history. There are hundreds of books and thousands of articles that either presuppose the existence of Irish Catholic-Protestant differences Argues that there are fundamental social and economic similarities between the two groups; but that taboos against intermarriage, segregated schools and the nature of Protestant and Catholic religious beliefs keep the Irish at loggerheads Donald Harman Akenson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [195]-232) And Index.