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.
Karen Sonnelitter, PhD, is Associate Professor of History at Siena College, Loudonville, New York. She completed her doctorate at Purdue University. This lecture is part of our The Irish And... Series.