Description
The gripping story of the tumultuous destruction of the Irish country house, spanning the revolutionary years of 1912 to 1923
During the Irish Revolution nearly three hundred country houses were burned to the ground. These "Big Houses" were powerful symbols of conquest, plantation, and colonial oppression and were caught up in the struggle for independence and the conflict between the aristocracy and those demanding access to more land. Stripped of their most important artifacts, most of the houses were never rebuilt, and ruins such as Summerhill stood like ghostly figures for generations to come.
Terence Dooley offers a unique perspective on the Irish Revolution, exploring the struggles over land, the impact of the Great War, and why the country mansions of the landed class became such a symbolic target for republicans throughout the period. Dooley details the shockingly sudden acts of occupation and destruction-including soldiers using a Rembrandt as a dart board-and evokes the exhilaration felt by the revolutionaries at seizing these grand houses and visibly overturning the established order.
About the Author
Terence Dooley is professor of history at Maynooth University and director at the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. He is the author of numerous books, including The Decline of the Big House in Ireland.
Book Information
ISBN 9780300270433
Author Terence Dooley
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
During the Irish Revolution nearly three hundred country houses were burned to the ground. These "Big Houses" were powerful symbols of conquest, plantation, and colonial oppression and were caught up in the struggle for independence and the conflict between the aristocracy and those demanding access to more land. Stripped of their most important artifacts, most of the houses were never rebuilt, and ruins such as Summerhill stood like ghostly figures for generations to come.
Terence Dooley offers a unique perspective on the Irish Revolution, exploring the struggles over land, the impact of the Great War, and why the country mansions of the landed class became such a symbolic target for republicans throughout the period. Dooley details the shockingly sudden acts of occupation and destruction-including soldiers using a Rembrandt as a dart board-and evokes the exhilaration felt by the revolutionaries at seizing these grand houses and visibly overturning the established order.
About the Author
Terence Dooley is professor of history at Maynooth University and director at the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. He is the author of numerous books, including The Decline of the Big House in Ireland.
Book Information
ISBN 9780300270433
Author Terence Dooley
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
![The Big House: The Story of a Country House and its Family by Christopher Simon Sykes 9780007107100 [USED COPY]](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-zkx5lhzlf8/images/stencil/444x444/products/5651902/5729154/9780007107100__25810.1725936771.jpg?c=1 "The Big House: The Story of a Country House and its Family by Christopher Simon Sykes 9780007107100 [USED COPY]")
