Publisher's Synopsis
This book examines the central role that voluntary clubs and societies played in fostering various forms of local, regional, and political identity in modern Ireland over the course of 200 years. It is unique in the scope of its treatment of associational culture and sociability in Ireland from 1750-1940. Concentrating on various forms of voluntary activity from the 18th century onwards, the chapters focus on numerous themes in Irish and Irish emigrant history, including a look at the development of civic consciousness in 18th-century Irish cities and the fostering of nationalist and loyalist formal groups in emigrant communities. The book is a fascinating study of the fields of social and political networking in modern Ireland. The book is part of the IRCHSS-funded 'Associational Culture in Ireland' research project in the Department of History at NUI Maynooth.
