In 1919, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland noted that “there is a path of fatality which pursues the relations between the two countries and makes them eternally at cross purposes.” For better or worse, Ireland has frequently been defined by its relationship with its neighbor to the east. And for centuries, English monarchs and governments have struggled with what they came to term “the Irish Question.” Through 76 primary source documents running from the eighth to the twenty-first centuries—all of which are contextualized by informative introductions and annotations—this volume explores the political, economic, and cultural impacts of the relationship between Ireland and England. Comments “An excellent and highly useful collection of documents on a critical topic in both Irish and British history.” — Sean Farrell Moran, Oakland University “With a fine introduction and helpful annotations by Karen Sonnelitter, Irish-English Relations offers a wide-ranging and well-chosen selection of primary sources in Irish history, reaching back from the Venerable Bede to Irish president Michael D. Higgins. As such, it will be invaluable to both students and teachers of Irish history throughout the English-speaking world.” — David Wilson, University of Toronto “Sonnelitter’s selection is an excellent starter book for anyone interested in delving deeper into Irish history. It is a rich and well-chosen set of materials drawn from literary and visual sources as well as from the political and constitutional arena. Prefaced by a historical introduction and a list of pertinent questions, each document is suitably contextualized and annotated. All the obvious topics—the Anglo-Norman Invasion, the Tudor and Stuart Plantations, the Penal Laws and Catholic Emancipation, the Great Famine, the Irish War of Independence, and the Northern Ireland Troubles—are treated, with much else besides.” — Hiram Morgan, University College Cork
