Religion, Rebellion and Violence in Ireland, c. 1603-1649

While religion has always seemed a constant force in Irish history, this study exposes how the period between 1603-1649 cemented sectarian division and conflict, with long-lasting legacies for both Ireland and Britain. This is the first in-depth investigation of the role of religious violence in seventeenth-century Ireland, focusing particularly on the cataclysmic 1641 Rebellion. Joan Redmond traces the growing importance of religious division in Irish society, especially through the impact of British colonial projects, such as the Ulster plantation, and religion’s role in early modern imperialism more widely. Redmond explores how religion increasingly became the dominant force in unrest, examining how symbols such as bibles, churches and the clergy became targets before and during the 1641 Rebellion. Throughout, Ireland is considered in relation to both Europe and the British Atlantic, highlighting its position as between two worlds in the seventeenth century.