Writing Conflict in Early Modern Ireland
Dr Naomi McAreavey (co-ordinator)
This module will examine a fascinating range of verse, dramatic, and prose texts produced in Ireland during the conflicts of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Considering the work of writers who in different ways had an investment in the country, the module will explore how Ireland is re-conceptualized in the varied writings of men and women from a range of national, religious, social and political backgrounds. Focusing on texts produced during periods of crisis, and paying particular attention to the writing of the Irish rebellion of 1641, this module will explore the impact of violence and conflict on the re-constitution of Irish identities during this period of remarkable social and political change. In doing so, the module will assess the usefulness of postcolonial theory and the New British History in the analysis of a range of discourses on early modern Ireland.