Beyond Teleology

Abstract

Abstract By the beginning of the twentieth century Irish political life was divided along clear confessional lines. A mainly Catholic nationalism confronted a mainly Protestant unionism. Yet it would be a mistake to project this straightforward dichotomy onto an earlier period. Ireland’s unusual religious demography ensured that sectarian hostility was an inescapable part of political life. But there were other divisions within Irish society, and expedient alliances repeatedly took shape across confessional lines. It was not until the 1880s that wary interaction gave way to polarization. The triumph of confessional politics was in part due to the changing character of public life. But the emergence of new religious cultures, Catholic and Protestant, also played a part in shaping political relationships and responses