Gurrin, Brian Francis
(2006)
Land and people in Wicklow, 1660-1840.
PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Abstract
This thesis examines two aspects of County Wicklow’s historical character - its
land and its people. Human settlement in Wicklow between the Restoration and the
Famine was principally influenced by the region’s distinctive geological makeup. A large
ridge of granite runs through the centre of the county, separating the east coast from the
western plateau, and hindering communication and travel. Thus, typified by unfertile,
poorly drained soils, the centre of the county was primarily uninhabited during this
period, and contributed only marginally to Wicklow’s economic development.
Within this physical framework lived Wicklow’s people. Between the Restoration
and the Famine the population of Wicklow expanded significantly. In the denominational
sphere, however, the situation was more complex. Sustained Protestant settlement
occurred during the seventeenth century and by the early 1730s, when the first
denominational statistics become available, Wicklow had a substantial Protestant
population. Between then and the mid-1760s, however, Protestantism endured a period of
sustained decline, while the number of Catholics continued to increase. This decline in
the Protestant position necessitated changes in how local societies were ordered.
The impact of these two contrasting demographic histories (the decline in
Protestants within the context of an expanding population) on the social and economic
ordering of the region is examined. An expanding population facilitated economic
expansion, which is tracked by considering the expansion of markets and fairs. In the
social sphere, the operation of the parish is investigated. An important element of societal
order in the eighteenth century, the parish had dual functionality, with responsibilities in
both civil and ecclesiastical realms. It is shown that as Protestantism declined throughout
Wicklow, Catholics became increasingly involved in the operation of parish structures.
Furthermore, after the 1760s, Catholicism became increasingly visible on the Wicklow
physical landscape, with the construction of new churches and the expansion of parish
structure. The impact of declining numbers of Protestants, coupled with increased
Catholic confidence exacerbated inter-denominational tensions, which ultimately led to
catastrophe, through unprecedented sectarian blood-letting, in 1798
| Item Type: |
Thesis
(PhD)
|
| Keywords: |
Wicklow; 1660-1840; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy > History |
| Item ID: |
5007 |
| Depositing User: |
IR eTheses
|
| Date Deposited: |
06 Jun 2014 14:48 |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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