"The Oxford Companion to Irish History" by S. J. Connolly (editor)

The Oxford Companion to Irish History offers an eminently readable introduction to all aspects of the history of this fascinating and complex land. Written in 1998 by a team of 87 specialists, its 1,800 entries explore Irish history from earliest times to the recent past. Key figures and events are re-evaluated in the light of contemporary research, while emerging areas of scholarship, such as women's history and public health, are discussed in depth. Many entries focus on enduring themes of Irish history, including nationalism, unionism, and Catholicism, breaking away from a purely chronological approach to examine the contexts and traditions that underpin Irish identity.
In a field bedeviled by controversy, The Oxford Companion to Irish History offers a reference that is both authoritative and innovative.