This world was soon to be transformed by the horrifying tragedy of the Great Famine of 1846–50, which set the context for the emergence of a popular mass nationalism, expressed in the Fenians (and later by Parnell and Sinn Féin). This period also witnessed the radical re-organization and politicization of the Catholic Church that began with the Synod of Thurles (1850). All three events, in varying ways, changed the face of nineteenth-century Ireland. This book also examines how at the same time, the Protestant north-east of Ulster was enjoying the first benefits of the Industrial Revolution. Although post-Famine Ireland modernized rapidly, only the north-east had a modern economy.

The rich document-based case studies on Emancipation, Famine and the Synod are supplemented by thematic essays on politics and administration, society and economy, and culture and religion in this period.