James P. Bruce

ABOUT THIS BOOK

In 1847 and 1848 a little-known farmer named James Fintan Lalor wrote a series of newspaper articles in which he outlined his vision for Ireland after the Great Famine. Although they have been reprinted and republished many times since, until now there has been no systematic study of the principles and proposals that Lalor expounded. 

In Ireland's Hope, the author considers Lalor’s brief career as a writer and offers new insights into his treatment of the national and land questions.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

"An exemplary exercise in intellectual history, distinguished for the clarity of its writing and the extensive research underpinning it. The result is a very dynamic picture of how James Fintan Lalor’s ideas on land ownership and Anglo-Irish relations evolved during the 1830s and 1840s. It’s an exciting account of one of Ireland's most important radical thinkers." Dr Ian McBride, Foster Professor of Irish History, Hertford College, University of Oxford

"There is much to commend in the quality of the scholarship, not least the broad range of secondary material consulted and the excellent and extensive archival work. It is well written, clear and concise... This excellent and detailed study is certainly an important contribution, not only to the study of Lalor himself, but to the land question in mid-century Ireland more broadly." Dr Andrew Phemister, National University of Ireland, Galway

"An important contribution of the intellectual history of the land question and republicanism in nineteenth-century Ireland through a close reading of the writings of James Fintan Lalor." Dr Brian Casey, Durham University

"Ireland’s hope is a mature study from one who spent a lifetime in banking and has
published a memoir on Brian Cleeve... Bruce makes a good case in a lucid, concise
and cogent study." Prof Emmet O'Connor, Ulster University ("History Ireland", Mar-Apr 2021)

GET YOUR COPY

Copies can be purchased at the Vernon Press web site or through the usual online retailers.