The Contested Identities of Ulster Catholics [Hardcover]

This book investigates the often-fragmented nature of Ulster Nationalist / Republican / Roman Catholic politics, culture and identity. It offers a companion publication to The Contested Identities of Ulster Protestants (2015). Historically the Catholic community of Ulster are regarded as a unified and coherent group, sharing cultural and political aspirations. However, the volume explores communities of many variants and strands, belying the notion of an easy, homogenous bloc in terms of identity, political aspirations, voting preferences and cultural identity. These include historical differences within constitutional nationalism and Republicanism, gender politics, partition, perceptions of this community from The Republic of Ireland, and more. The book will appeal to students and scholars across the fields of Politics, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Irish Studies and Peace Studies.

 

1 Introduction; Thomas Paul Burgess.- 2 The State Were In: - Imagining a New Republic; the Challenge to Irish Nationalism; Thomas Paul Burgess.- 3 Catholics in Northern Ireland: Changing Political Attitudes, 1968-2018; John Coakley.- 4 Rights versus Rites? Catholic women and abortion access in Northern Ireland; Claire Pierson.- 5 Tough, violent and virtually ungovernable? Northern nationalists in the Irish Republic. A historical context; Brian Hanley.- 6 E pluribus unum; The Elusiveness of a Singular Community Identity;  Malachi ODoherty.- 7 The Story of Catholic Schools in Northern Irelaló9