This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. The introduction of co-operative societies into the Irish countryside during the late-nineteenth century transformed rural society and created an enduring economic legacy.
Civilising rural Ireland challenges predominant narratives of Irish history that explain the emergence of the nation-state through the lens of political conflict and violence. Instead the book takes as its focus the numerous leaders, organisers, and members of the Irish co-operative movement. Together these people captured the spirit of change as they created a modern Ireland through their reorganisation of the countryside, the spread of new economic ideas, and the promotion of mutually-owned businesses. Besides giving a comprehensive account of the co-operative movement’s introduction to Irish society the book offers an analysis of the importance of these radical economic ideas upon political Irish nationalism.
Table of Content
Introduction
1 The origins of co-operation in Ireland
2 A civilisation among the fields
3 Ireland in the new century
4 Co-operation and life during wartime
5 The co-operative movement and the War of Independence
6 A Co-operative Commonwealth in the Free State?
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Patrick Doyle is Hallsworth Research Fellow at the University of Manchester
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