Religion, politics, and violence in nineteenth-century Belfast

"The unionist/nationalist divide in Belfast today has its origins in the 1840s when Catholic and Protestant workers were involved in campaigns for and against the repeal of the union with Great Britain. This case-study of the Pound and Sandy Row challenges the opinion that dates this division from the late 1880-90s and overturns the argument that some other lasting political division, such as Liberal/Conservative, could have developed in Belfast in the 1860s to the 1880s." "The active role of Catholic workers in nationalist movements and the strength of working-class Protestant opposition to them are studied in the context of the campaign for the repeal of the union with Britain, the republican Fenian society and the movement for Irish 'Home Rule'." "This is the first comprehensive academic study of riots in Belfast. Politics at the national level were played out on the streets in riots and sectarian marches in a manner strikingly familiar to anyone observing the recent 'Troubles'. By examining the politics of the secret society and the street, this study provides fresh insight into the roots of modern conflict in Northern Ireland."--Jacket.