The Irish dissenting tradition, 1650–1750

Kevin Herlihy, editor

This collection of essays presents new and important historical scholarship in a much-neglected area of Irish social and ecclesiastical history. At times Protestant dissent in Ireland has been mistakenly characterised as being synonymous with Ulster Presbyterians. Professional historians have seldom tackled the historical problems of Irish religious minorities and sects other than Presbyterians; the lesser known religious groups, especially those religious communities who never engaged in a comprehensive history of their own, have largely gone unnoticed. This volume attempts to fill this historiographical gap in Irish history, presenting new information that gives a better understanding of Irish Protestant dissent.

The book is divided into two sections. The first section examines various definitions of Protestant dissent and their implications in dealings with both the government and the established Church. The second section deals with more specific areas in the study of Irish Protestant dissent. In the separate essays the Baptist, Quaker, French Huguenot and Palatine communities are placed in the context of the wider Protestant community and 18th-century society in general.