Imagining alternative Irelands in 1912

Cultural discourse in the periodical press

Brian Ward

In pre-independence Ireland, there was not just one potential home rule nation, but rather a multitude of idealized Irelands, and journalists sought to promote their versions of the future to their readers. This work examines Irish periodicals as a network of ideas that played a vital role as a space for public debate in the year of home rule. Through periodicals, writers and editors debated religion, gender, nationalism, philology and race, and promoted their visions of a new Ireland. Nationalists, unionists, suffragists, syndicalists, theosophists and other ideologues derided their opponents and upheld their alternative Irelands. Exploring reactions towards subjects such as sport, music, literature, censorship and race provides us with a greater understanding of how post-independence Ireland was shaped by the debates of 1912.

Brian Ward holds a PhD in English from NUI Galway. His research interests include periodical culture, postcolonial studies and twentieth-century literature.