The Origins of Sectarianism in Early Modern Ireland

Ireland is riven by sectarian hatred. This simple assumption provides a powerful explanation for the bitterness and violence which has so dominated Irish history. Most notably, the troubles in Northern Ireland have provided fertile ground for scholars from all disciplines to argue about and explore ways in which religious division fueled the descent into hostility and disorder. In much of this literature, however, sectarianism is seen as, somehow, a 'given' in Irish history, an inevitable product of the clash of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, something which sprang fully formed into existence in the sixteenth century. In this 2005 book leading historians provide a detailed analysis of the ways in which rival confessions were developed in early modern Ireland, the extent to which the Irish people were indeed divided into two religious camps by the mid-seventeenth century, and also their surprising ability to transcend such stark divisions. Within A Country Where Religious Divisions Have Both A Long History And A Direct Contemporary Relevance, This Book Examines How They First Emerged In The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries. Leading Irish Historians Examine How Separate Catholic And Protestant Church Structures And Communities Were Created Both Nationally And Locally. They Analyze The Ways In Which The Rival Institutions Influenced Perceptions Of Religious Difference, Resulting In A Pattern In Irish History Of Protestants And Catholics Living Together As Separate Denominations. Living Together, Living Apart: Sectarianism In Early Modern Ireland / Alan Ford -- Confessionalisation In Ireland: Periodisation And Character, 1534-1649 / Ute Lotz-heumann -- Protestant Prelates Or Godly Pastors? The Dilemma Of The Early Stuart Episcopate / John Mccafferty -- 'in Imitation Of That Holy Patron Of Prelates The Blessed St Charles': Episcopal Activity In Ireland And The Formation Of A Confessional Identity, 1618-1653 / Tadhg Ó Hannracháin -- A Haven Of Popery: English Catholic Migration To Ireland In The Age Of Plantations / David Edwards -- The Irish Historical Renaissance And The Shaping Of Protestant History / Alan Ford -- Religion, Culture And The Bardic Elite In Early Modern Ireland / Marc Caball -- The Political And Religious Thought Of Florence Conry And Hugh Mccaughwell / Micheál Maccraith -- Sectarianism: Division And Dissent In Irish Catholicism / Brian Jackson -- Purity Of Blood And Purity Of Faith In Early Modern Ireland / Declan Downey -- Concluding Reflection: Confronting The Violence Of The Irish Reformations / John Morrill. Edited By Alan Ford And John Mccafferty. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Ireland is riven by sectarian hatred. This simple assumption provides a powerful explanation for the bitterness and violence which has so dominated Irish history. Most notably, the troubles in Northern Ireland have provided fertile ground for scholars from all disciplines to argue about and explore ways in which religious division fuelled the descent into hostility and disorder. In much of this literature, however, sectarianism is seen as, somehow, a 'given' in Irish history, an inevitable product of the clash of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, something which sprang fully formed into existence in the sixteenth century. In this book, leading historians provide the first detailed analysis of the ways in which rival confessions were developed in early modern Ireland, the extent to which the Irish people were indeed divided into two religious camps by the mid seventeenth century, and also their surprising ability to transcend such stark divisions. Ireland is a country where religious divisions have both a long history and a direct contemporary relevance. This book examines how separate Catholic and Protestant church structures and communities were created both nationally and locally and the ways in which these rival institutions shaped perceptions of religious difference. In 1615 Richard Stanihurst gave an account of the torture and death of the Catholic archbishop of Cashel, Dermot O'Hurley at the hands of his Protestant gaolers in 1584: The officials put the archbishop's bare feet in boots which they filled with oil, tied his legs to the uprights of the stocks, and then lit a fire underneath. Leading historians provide the first detailed analysis of the ways in which rival confessions were developed in early modern Ireland, the extent to which the Irish people were indeed divided into two religious camps by the mid-17th century, and also their suprising ability to transcend such stark divisions