The Kirwan murder case, 1852

A glimpse of the Irish Protestant middle class in the mid-nineteenth century

Suzanne Leeson

'The five volumes forming the subject matter of this review together span three centuries; touch five counties; explore themes as diverse a landholding, murder, administration, rebellion and economic development; and involve social groups ranging from the socially and economically marginalised through upwardly mobile officials and artists to the landed and mercantile elites. Each study, while centring on a specific locality r community, throws light on broader political, social and economic issues ... Each of these very varied studies is marked by a sharp awareness of existing scholarship, meshed with meticulous research in sources ranging from government and official documents through contemporary press reports to maps and memoirs. Each - as is the case with every volume in the whole series - presents its analysis in fewer than seventy pages, proving that succinctness and insight can indeed go hand in hand. Each is marked by clear organisation and lucid writing, making the work accessible to both the specialist and general reader.' Maura Cronin, Irish Historical Studies, (2020).