For class, nation, race or god? : a transatlantic history of the Irish working class movement, 1889 - 1917

Abstract

This thesis is a cultural study of the Irish working-class movement from 1889 to 1917. The aim of this thesis is to explore how transatlantic networks shaped the way the Irish working-class movement crafted its vision of Irish working-class identity. The research takes a transatlantic approach as a means of challenging the exclusivity of the colonial framework that dominates Irish working-class history. These colonial influences are not rejected outright, as significant elements of British imperial history and culture play a crucial role in shaping this study; rather, the purpose is to question other potential influences shaping an Irish imperial outlook, such as those developing from the Atlantic World.