Edward R. Norman

2072 The Catholic Church and Ireland in the Age of Rebellion 1857-1872, by E. R. Norman (read 12 Apr 1987) This is a 1963 book by a Cambridge University professor on the events from 1859 to 1873 in Ireland so far as they involved the Catholic Church and political activity. It was a time when the Irish Catholic bishops were very active, under the leadership of Paul Cardinal Cullen. There were three big questions: land, education, and the Church of Ireland. The Church was disestablished, some land reform was enacted, but the education issue was not resolved. This book takes up the events in detail, but it is written for one more conversant in Irish matters than I am. Particularly, it takes for granted that one knows more than I do on law and general Irish history. But it was well worth reading, and is generally sympathetic to the Catholic hierarchy. After 1873 Home Rule took over, and Parnell--who was of course not Catholic--rose to pre-eminence, and the political power of the hierarchy was less. This book covers a period prior to that covered by Emmett Larkin's books read by me in February and January of 1980. I find Irish history dramatic--it is good that I am not Irish, else I would spend even more time on it.… (mere)