The Irish question and British politics, c. 1800-1914

This essay argues that the Irish question proved a dominant problem in British politics across the long nineteenth century. It charts this process by focusing on the ways that the Irish question was imagined, paying particular attention to the issues of international security, poverty, and politics. The essay also suggests that the effects of the Irish question were not one-way. Ireland was not simply shaped by British politics, but instead played an important role in moulding British political culture throughout the period of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.