A Land Fit for Heroes?: The Great War, Memory, Popular Culture, and Politics in Ireland Since 1914

<p>Despite the fact that over 200,000 Irish men fought in the British Army during the First World War, Ireland's sizeable contribution to the war remained in the shadows of history for most of the twentieth century. This dissertation examines the cultural components of the memory of the Great War in Ireland and argues that, taken together, they constitute an alternative Irish national identity that threatened and challenged republican nationalism. These cultural components existed in the realm of vernacular memory, which lay beyond the reach of the Irish government. By examining commemorative rituals, war memorials, and popular culture, this project breathes life into the vibrant and complex milieu of Great War memory in Ireland. Studying culture opens new avenues to explore questions relating to nationalism, memory, politics, and war. By tracking the changes to Great War memory throughout the twentieth, and into the twenty-first century, this study illustrates a sustained thread of shared history for all of Ireland, north and south, that transcends religious and political barriers and injects Ireland into a broader European context.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Myers, Jason Robert

• First World War
• Ireland
• Memory
• Popular Culture
• European History

Repository record dc:identifier

https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/159

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ecommons.luc.edu:luc_diss-1158