Course syllabus

 

HISTORY 365: Ireland Since 1798

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 

Course Convenor: 

Malcolm Campbell - mc.campbell@auckland.ac.nz

Humanities (Arts 1) Building Room 512

 

 Tuākana:

Marco de Jong
e-mail: m.dejong@auckland.ac.nz 

 

Course delivery format:

A two- hour lecture and one-hour lectorial per week.

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

 

 Summary of Course Description:              

Ireland’s influence is visible throughout the world, not least in the vast numbers of people who trace their ancestry back to the women and men who emigrated from Ireland between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries.  For many of us, names or fragments of Irish history will be familiar, whether through family stories or in popular culture: the Great Famine, the Easter Rising, Michael Collins, the IRA, and Bloody Sunday. Irish music, literature and films continue to demonstrate the nation’s remarkable creativity. But what is the history of Ireland and its peoples? How did a small nation come to experience a turbulent history marked by an extraordinary famine, a prolonged struggle for independence, and civil war? And importantly, how does the Irish past fit within the broader history of modern Europe?

This course examines the history of Ireland from 1798 to the present.  It investigates major developments in the social, cultural, political and economic history of the island from the United Irish Rising at the end of the eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century, including the creation of the state of Northern Ireland and ongoing attempts to secure a lasting peace there.  Attention will also be paid to the vast emigration of Irish peoples across the globe, and the influence of the Irish abroad in shaping the contours of the last 200 years of Irish history.

 

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students should be able to

1. Demonstrate an understanding of several major social, cultural, political and economic developments in Irish life from the late eighteenth century to the present;
2. Show awareness of the way historians have shaped understandings of the Ireland's past, and of significant areas of debate among them;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the practice of History in Ireland and its impact on Irish society;
4. Place developments in Irish history within a broader international perspective;
5. Apply analytical and problem-solving skills to the study of Irish history.
6. Demonstrate the ability to discuss their ideas in a range class discussions and written work.

 

Assessment

Assessment in this course will consist of:

1. A book review of 1,500 words due by 11.59 pm on Friday 23 March (20%)

2. A compulsory essay of 2,500 words due by 11:59 pm on Monday 30 April (40%)

3. An overview essay of 2,000 words due by 11:59 pm on Tuesday 5 June (40%).

 

Policy on Late Work
An extension for work beyond the due date may be given on medical grounds or in exceptional personal circumstances at the discretion of the course convenor. However, the application should be made well in advance of the due date. Late work will be penalised by having marks deducted at the rate of 2% per day.

 Walter Paget, Birth of the Irish Republic

Weekly Topics:

Date	Lecture Topic	Weekly Lectorial
Tuesday 27 February	Introduction/1798	Introduction
Tuesday 6 March	Union and its aftermath	1798
Tuesday 13 March	The Great Famine	Historians and the Famine
Tuesday 20 March	Emigrants and Exiles	Irish Migration
Tuesday 27 March	Nationalism in Ireland	No Class
Tuesday 17 April	Campaign for Home Rule	Nationalism and Unionism
Tuesday 24 April	Easter Rising 1916	Remembering the Rising
Tuesday 1 May	War of Independence	Heroes and Villains
Tuesday 8 May	Civil War and its aftermath	Life in the Free State
Tuesday 15 May	Ireland After WW2	Culture of Containment
Tuesday 22 May	Northern Ireland	The Troubles
Tuesday 29 May	Ireland Past, Present, Future	Course Revision

 

Prescribed Texts:

There is no required textbook. Required readings are available through Canvas and other readings are included in the Reading Lists.

 

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.