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... The history of Ireland is perhaps one of the worlds most complex and least clear histories. ... However, there has been recent dissent against the traditional Irish telling of the history of Ireland during the nationalist period, which still continues to this day. ... "1 The important question to consider is not which "story" of Ireland is the most accurate, as both present very similar details of the actual events, but instead why ones story presents a better offering of why Irish history has taken the course it has. ...
In order for us to discuss why the traditional telling of the story of Ireland should be the version that is taught to our children and written and discussed in books we will be best served to look at where revisionism comes from and why revisionism is not what we desire.
What is the popular image of historical revisionism today? A retelling of Irish history which seeks to show that British rule of Ireland was not, as we have believed a bad thing, but a mixture of necessity, good intentions and bungling and that Irish resistance to it was not as we have believed, a good thing, but a mixture of wrong-headed idealism and unnecessary, often cruel violence. ... 2
Essentially revisionism has been motivated by the political climate of post 1970 Ireland in which a new history has been required for Ireland to gain acceptance and approval of the international community. It is in revisionism that Ireland has found this acceptance. ... " Namely the 1970s saw a period of time where Ireland halted the demand that Britain withdraw completely from Ireland, it assumed that Britain was a friend of Ireland and began to collaborate with the Crown in order to disarm the IRA and call for a halt in the nationalist war of neighboring Northern Ireland. ... Irish Revisionism questions its own country’s founding, having us believe that the Irish were the party that was at fault and had things gone the way they should have gone Britain would still be ruling Ireland today. ... The theories of revolution, the theories of nationality, the theories of history, which have brought Ireland to its present pass, cry out for re-examination, and the time is ripe to break with the great enchantment which for too long has made myth so much more congenial than reality.
Approximate Word count = 1828
Approximate Pages = 7.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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