This book opens by exploring how nationalist Ireland mobilized a mass democratic movement under O'Connell to secure Catholic Emancipation. This world was soon to be transformed by the horrifying tragedy of the Great Famine of 1846-1850, which set the context for the emergence of a popular mass nationalism, expressed in the Fenians (and later by Parnell and Sinn Fein). 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 19th-century Ireland. The book also examines how at the same time, the Protestant northeast of Ulster was enjoying the first benefits of the Industrial Revolution. Although post-Famine Ireland modernized rapidly, only the northeast 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. *** "The decision to used these three episodes to understand nineteenth-century Ireland makes a nice change from the typical chronological narrative . . . The main strengths of this volume are the particular topical coverage, the readability of the prose, and the inclusions of primary source documents . . . will be useful for teachers and students of Irish history . . . and would be a sensible purchase for a university library." - Victorian Studies, Vol. 55, No. 4, Summer 2013Ã?Ã?