Land Is All That Matters - by Myles Dungan

About the Book

A sweeping narration of the land wars that shaped Irish history, from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War Two.

Book Synopsis

In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived 'off the land' in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived 'on the land' as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority of the population outside the north-east of the country. Land was vital. But most of it was owned by a class of Protestant, English and often aristocratic landlords. The dream of having more control over their farms, even of owning them, drove many of the most explosive conflicts in Irish history. Rebellions against British rule were rare, but savage outbreaks of murder related to resentments over land ownership, and draconian state repression, were a regular feature of Irish rural life. The struggle for the land was also crucial in driving support for Irish nationalist demands for Home Rule and independence.

In this epic narrative, Myles Dungan examines two hundred years of agrarian conflict from the ruinous famine of 1741 to the eve of World War Two. It explores the pivotal moments that shaped Irish history: the rise of 'moonlighting', the infamous Whiteboys and Rightboys, the insurrection of Captain Rock, the Tithe War of 1831-36, the Great Famine of 1845 that devastated the country and drastically reduced the Irish population, and the Land War of 1878-1909, which ended by transferring almost all the landlords' holdings to their tenants. These events take place against the backdrop of prevailing British rule and stark class and wealth inequality.

Land Is All that Matters tells the sweeping story of the agrarian revolution that fundamentally shaped modern Ireland.

Review Quotes

"Sweeping, magisterial and elegantly written ... hugely impressive" --Andrew Lynch, Irish Independent

"Myles Dungan is an accomplished writer ... This is his most ambitious book yet ... a lively introduction to a huge topic" --Brian Hanley, Irish Times

"Vivid ... worldly and brightly written history" --Literary Review

"Writing with a sardonic and stylish wit, Myles Dungan gets to the heart of the Irish obsession with land." --Paul Bew

"Myles Dungan has undertaken a monumental task in attempting to survey the history of land and land questions in Ireland... He has done it marvellous justice, placing land questions where they deserve to be, to the forefront in Irish historiography. Splendidly researched and written in an easy, erudite style, this is a most informative survey history that deserves to be widely read." --Professor Terence Dooley, author of Burning the Big House

"Land Is All That Matters is a concise, comprehensive, stylishly written and accessible history of one of the most significant issues in Irish history and historiography... Essential reading for all who want to understand how we really got to where we are." --Catriona Crowe

"Praise for Four Killings:
'Dungan knows his history; he also knows how to tell a story... A gem of a book' David McCullagh, RTÉ Culture
'A vivid and chilling narrative... Confronts uncomfortable questions that still need answering' Roy Foster
'Sober and intelligent... Dungan does a fine job of showing that little people can make history too' Andrew Lynch, Business Post
'Narrative history, told through a unique prism'" --Irish Sunday Independent

About the Author

Myles Dungan is a broadcaster and historian. He presents The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1 and is an adjunct lecturer and Fulbright scholar in the School of History and Archives, University College Dublin. Dungan has compiled and presented award-winning historical documentaries, and is the author of numerous works on Irish and American history, including Four Killings: Land Hunger, Murder and a Family in the Irish Revolution. He holds a PhD from Trinity College Dublin.