Despite its significance, the Orange Order has received little attention from modern Irish historians. Therefore, any contribution is to be welcomed and this book by Daragh Curran, the author's second monograph on Irish Protestantism, is both helpful and thought-provoking. The book focuses on the revival of the Orange institution's political and numerical strength between 1845 and 1849 which coincided with a period of famine, tenant right agitation, and insurrection. These issues form part of the author's main objective which is to use the Order ‘to bring to light the key fears, threats and issues of importance to the Protestants of Ireland’ (p. 15) during the late 1840s. The author's research is based on a close reading of primary sources, particularly contemporary newspapers, pamphlets, and parliamentary papers because Orange-related manuscript material is limited for the period before 1850.

The book is divided into five chapters. The first discusses the history of the order from its formation in 1795 until its numerical and political power peaked around 1835. It introduces themes that are important in subsequent chapters, including the fragile alliance between the grassroots and gentry. Chapter 2 examines Orangeism during a time of official scrutiny, from the dissolution of the Grand Lodge in 1836 until its reconstitution ten years later. The third chapter considers the impact of the Famine on Orangemen, as well as internal tensions brought about by tenant right agitation, which was initially popular among some members. Chapter 4 examines how the threat of repeal of the Act of Union and the Young Ireland rebellion led to the greatest growth in Orange membership and a short-lived period of perceived government favour. The final chapter considers the further consolidation of the order's influence which was subsequently shattered by the Dolly's Brae affray on 12 July 1849. This was one of the most notorious clashes between Orangemen and Catholic Ribbonmen which resulted in approximately thirty deaths, the removal of three Orangemen from the magistracy and a Party Processions Act that banned parades for over two decades.

Generally speaking, this book is a good account of Orangeism for this period and compliments the work of other historians of the order, such as Hereward Senior and Jonathan Mattison. The analysis raises important interpretive issues, especially in relation to the class dynamic of the institution. The author notes that from the beginning of the organisation in the 1790s there was great disparity between the landed leadership in the grand lodge and the membership in local lodges. These differences were mainly social and economic, but motivations for joining the order varied as well. Plebeian Orangemen were attracted by fraternity and security while members of the grand lodge usually joined for political reasons or to exercise more control over popular loyalism, though they had little success in this regard. Curran argues that managing the independence of grassroots Orangemen proved especially difficult for the grand lodge during the Famine period. For example, class differences contributed to divisions in the society at the reconstitution of the grand lodge in 1845 and led to tensions over issues like tenant right. Yet, anytime the perceived Catholic threat increased, most notably over the repeal issue, Ribbonism, and the Young Ireland rebellion, poorer Protestants flocked to the order to defend the ascendancy.

It would have been beneficial if the author had investigated the denominational profile of the order, rather than using ‘Protestant’ as a general term to describe the membership. The institution was dominated at all levels by Church of Ireland members in this period, but there was also a sizeable number of lay Presbyterians. However, many of the latter denomination, especially clergymen, refused to join because of the order's support for the established position of the Church of Ireland. It was not until after the disestablishment of this church in 1871 that Presbyterians joined in larger numbers. Consideration of the religious composition of the order would have complimented the author's important analysis on class. For example, the grand lodge was almost exclusively Anglican because it was dominated by the landed classes. This affected how the leadership reacted to challenges to the Church of Ireland because an Anglican-dominated grand lodge would invariably seek to defend the established position of their denomination. Furthermore, the author acknowledges the political and theological diversity of Irish Protestantism at several points. However, using the Orange Order as a medium through which to assess the Protestant mindset in general is not always helpful. It tends towards the very thing that the author stated he wished to avoid ― namely, treating Irish Protestantism as a monolith. This sometimes leads to confusing conclusions such as ‘the Orange Order mirrored Protestant society in that it was by no means a fluid entity’ (p. 205). Perhaps, but all Orangemen in this period were ultra-Protestant in that they were usually politically and theologically conservative and committed to exclusive loyalty and the perpetuation of Protestant ascendancy, however defined.

Despite these caveats, this is an important and welcome contribution to the historiography of the Loyal Orange Institution in Ireland. The author has examined a variety of primary sources and introduces several thought-provoking themes. It is hoped that modern historians will find in this book a reason to better understand the order and its important impact on Irish history.