Life in Urban Galway from the Act of Union to the Ango-Irish Treaty

By several criteria, the period 1801-1921 was a stagnant one in Galway's history. Population statistics show a slight decline, and trade figures have a similar trajectory. It was a period of great change nonetheless, during which the state established major institutions - including a workhouse and a university; during which the railway and steamships revolutionised transport; during which there was institutional reform, several extensions to the electoral franchise, and a political revolution.

Using documentary sources and the interpretative approach of 'history from below', students will examine the response of ordinary Galway people to changes in the world around them, in the spheres of education, work and welfare, entertainment, religion, and politics

By the end of the module, the student will be able to:
1) Compile and format a bibliography of primary and secondary sources for the social history of 19th century Galway;
2) Summarise the historiography of 19th century Galway, and evaluate conflicting views;
3) Communicate a historical argument orally;
4) Carry out a substantial research project on the social history of 19th century Galway, and present the findings in a scholarly fashion

Reading:
John Cunningham, 'A town tormented by the sea': Galway, 1790-1914, Dublin 2004.
William Nolan & Anngret Simms, eds, Irish towns, a guide to sources, Dublin 1984.