Atlas of Irish History

The concept of the Irish Atlas is simple yet highly effective. Generally one page of text is followed by a thematic map. For example, a chapter on the Viking wars of the 8th century is accompanied by a helpful map that reveals the exact location in Ireland of Viking raids, settlements, and more. In another later chapter, The Ulster Question, a fine overview of this critical and longstanding issue is followed by a map that reveals the distribution of Protestants and Catholics in Ulster, 1911. Other chapters include, but are by no means limited to, the 1798 Rebellion, the pre-famine economy, World War 1 & the Easter Rising, and 1990s Ireland.

While some readers might quibble with the rather limited text, it's important to remember this is an atlas. The text (solidly written, by the way) is meant as an overview to these pivotal events in Irish history. It should be used as a gateway to more detailed writings. (The atlas concludes with a two-page "further reading" section.) As for the maps, editor Duffy concedes they "show facts rather than influences or ideas..." But this reader found the maps instructive and creative, a fine complement to the text.

Kudos to Mr. Duffy and his collaborators on the Irish Atlas. It does indeed go "some way to explain the story of this unique and fascinating place."


Useful tool for studying Irish history   December 30, 2005
Mark Klobas (Tempe, AZ, USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

There are many ways to study history and atlases provide one of the best tools for doing so, offering a visual portrait of the changes that a group, a country, or a region undergo. This book, the first full-color atlas covering the span of Irish history, provides a graphic portrait of the island's past from Celtic times right up through the 1990s. Accompanied by explanatory texts, the maps depict such events as the Viking Wars, the Cromwellian plantation, and the Great Famine, offering insight into the various developments and their impact on the island.

Though the texts provided give only a cursory overview of their various subjects, the value of the book lies in the maps themselves. Clear and detailed, they provide some of the best geographic representations of Irish history available. Each one provides a wealth of information about the social, religious, economic, and cultural developments that took place within Ireland, and are supplemented by graphs and photos. Overall the book itself is a useful tool for studying Irish history and a valuable complement to a larger text or course on the subject.