Irish society and economy is studied objectively in this book as if
it were a society in a distant region or in the distant past. The
distortions of nationalist anti-British propaganda are removed. In
particular the failure of the various separatist movements to
devise an ideology which could unite and rally all the people of
Ireland behind them is described. Ireland is analysed as a
sociologist analyses societies and using the materials that a
sociologist uses. Irish society is placed in the context of its
time and place. It was one of the societies on either side of the
North Atlantic Ocean. These countries were all to a greater or
lesser degree developing their industries, improving their roads,
building their railways, extending their trade, enlarging their
towns and cities, deepening and expanding their ports, and
modernising their institutions. Though religion was strong in all
of them, new currents of thought, often derived from the American
and French Revolutions, were being spread everywhere. It was
largely an English-speaking society and its institutions were those
of common law countries. As this study shows Ireland was a typical
member of this group of nations. It was not the most advanced, but
it was far from being the most backward. Some of the Nordic
countries for example, were only beginning to follow Ireland's path
of development. There is no evidence that membership of the United
Kingdom hindered or retarded this development. The Irish however
being closely linked to England always compared their progress with
that of England which was a mistake. The 19th century was England's
century, as the 15th century was Italy's. What caused the
'Industrial Revolution' wherehandcrafts gave way to the production
by machinery to occur earlier in England than elsewhere is a
subject that fascinates historians. How England came to possess the
largest empire in modern times is another fascinating question. Why
English institutions, a free press, a parliamentary democracy,
religious tolerance, methods of education, and most modern sports
came to be imitated is another one. The fact was that in the 19th
century great parts of the world looked to Britain to see how they
could modernise their societies and improve their economies.
Ireland did likewise, and from an earlier date but never so
successfully. Why Ireland was not as successful as Britain is not
easily explained. Lack of coal and iron is not the explanation for
some of Ireland's leading industries like linen, shipbuilding,
rope-making and tobacco manufacture were developed from imported
materials. Likewise in England, industries which depended largely
on craftsmanship like the pottery industry flourished. Nor was
Ireland's backwardness relative to England caused by oppressive law
or restrictions for within the United Kingdom all operated under
the same rules. Nor can the Catholic religion of Ireland be adduced
as a cause, for most Irish businessmen were Protestants. It is not
the purpose of this book to ask or settle these questions, but the
simpler one of describing the facts of Irish society as it was, and
to remove the distortions of propaganda. When one studies the
actual facts it becomes clear that not only was Ireland neither
oppressed nor backward but was actually one of the most advanced
countries in the world at the time as progress was understood in
the 19th century. Ireland by 1850 was already awell-developed
modern society, more advanced than most countries in Europe. The
period up to 1920 was one of increasing prosperity, and increasing
social improvement. Every new development in the various aspects of
society, industry, agriculture, communications, science and
education, social improvements were all adopted. In this book I
concentrate on the achievements that Irishmen can be proud of. One
can look at Irish industrial achievements. Belfast showed how ships
on the North Atlantic run should be built and fitted out. The
greatest linen industry in the world
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