Author:
Doyle, Patrick, author.
ImprintManchester : Manchester University Press, 2019.
Descriptionix, 232 pages : illustrations, map ; 25 cm
Note:Introduction -- The origins of co-operation in Ireland -- A civilisation among the fields -- Ireland in the new century -- Co-operation and life during wartime -- The co-operative movement and the War of Independence -- A Co-operative Commonwealth in the Free State?
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-226) and index.
Note:The introduction of co-operative societies into the Irish countryside during the late-nineteenth century transformed rural society and created an enduring economic legacy. Civilising rural Ireland challenges predominant narratives of Irish history that explain the emergence of the nation-state through the lens of political conflict and violence. Instead the book takes as its focus the numerous leaders, organisers, and members of the Irish co-operative movement. Together these people captured the spirit of change as they created a modern Ireland through their reorganisation of the countryside, the spread of new economic ideas, and the promotion of mutually-owned businesses. Besides giving a comprehensive account of the co-operative movement's introduction to Irish society the book offers an analysis of the importance of these radical economic ideas upon political Irish nationalism.
