Situated on one of Europe's busiest sea-roads, Ireland has always been connected to other cultures. This accessible and engaging history explores these connections across 1,600 years, from the arrival of Christianity in the fifth century to the present day. While the Norman invasion in 1169 brought the English crown into Irish politics, the impulse to preserve the Irish language and early Irish history united many of the Gaelic-Irish and Anglo-Normans from the fourteenth century. The Irish nationhood that emerged later was based more on Catholicism, as Ireland became a minor theatre of bitter European conflicts of the early modern period. Political (and religious) loyalties which solidified at this point determined Irish politics for the next three centuries, through the Troubles and beyond. Alongside these major political events, Caitriona Clear examines the living and working conditions of ordinary men and women — what they traded and farmed, how they lived and loved, and how they were often affected, but not always overwhelmed, by the politics of their time.

‘Capturing the social, political, cultural, and economic history of sixteen centuries, Caitriona Clear’s Concise History of Ireland is an incisive, unflinching, and evocative interpretation of its people and the choices they made. Beautifully written, this is a remarkable book by a remarkable historian of Ireland.’

Anne Dolan - Trinity College Dublin

‘This authoritative and accessible survey should become the default work for anyone seeking a concise, dispassionate, rounded history of the island of Ireland and the Irish. Catriona Clear’s lucid, informed, relaxed, almost conversational and occasionally humorous approach makes reading a pleasure.’

Eunan O'Halpin - Trinity College Dublin

‘The strength of this book lies in Clear’s insightful analysis of the major events that have shaped modern Ireland. Erudite and engaging, with a wealth of scholarly detail, it presents an historical narrative that shows the complexity of Irish life and politics from the medieval to the contemporary. A joy.’

Oonagh Walsh - Glasgow Caledonian University