Irish Artisans and Radical Politics, 1776-1820: Apprenticeship to Revolution

This book explores the political activities of workers in three Irish cities: Dublin, Belfast, and Cork, during the years 1776 to 1820. It argues that Irish craftsmen served an apprenticeship to revolution, providing them with a set of traditions that shaped how new revolutionary doctrines were received. It also explores the role of urban workers within the 1798 Irish Rebellion and Robert Emmets 1803 rising and places their actions within the context of British radicalism and the creation of an industrial working class.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2023
Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Irish Artisans and Radical Politics,1776-1820: Apprenticeship to Revolution is a comprehensive comparative analysis of the political activities of workers in three Irish cities: Dublin, Belfast, and Cork. It delves into the ways in which Ireland's journeymen and apprentices engaged in campaigns for political reform and revolutionary conspiracies from 1776 to 1820. This groundbreaking book represents the culmination of nearly a decade of extensive research on the subject, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of the role of Irish workers in the creation of eighteenth-century republicanism.

The book argues that Irish artisans, in both a literal and figurative sense, served as apprentices to successive political movements. The workshop experience provided them with a set of traditions that shaped their reception of new revolutionary doctrines. Furthermore, generations of Irish workers were actively involved in the campaigns of Irish 'Patriot MPs, the Volunteering movement of the 1770s, and the revolutionary campaigns of the United Irishmen.

The book explores the role of urban workers within the 1798 Irish Rebellion and Robert Emmets' 1803 rising, adopting a transnational framework to place their actions within the context of British radicalism and the formation of an industrial working class. By examining the political activities of Irish artisans, this study sheds light on the complex interplay between labor, politics, and social change in eighteenth-century Ireland. It contributes to our understanding of the broader historical processes that shaped the world we live in today.

Weight: 532g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781802077148