Resources about Irish history ?

[EssentialHummus]

Not sure if I'm right to post here, but it seems the best place, apologies if not.

I'm broadly well-educated but no nothing about Ireland - as in, I couldn't even tell you the location of Dublin until I googled it a few minutes ago. I'm foreign and raised abroad, so no academic context. Obviously Brexit has made me much more aware of my ignorance, but I'm also reading the novel Milkman by Anna Burns and realise I have no idea whatsoever about the country (countries?).

Can anyone point me in the direction of a book/website/essay/whatever as an introduction, please? I have read Wikipedia but gotten nowhere.

The "terrorism" (I'm not doubting it was terrorism, just quoting the wording typically used) leading up to the Good Friday Agreement - what was is, who was perpetuating it, to what end?

What part did/does religion play in the issue?

Is there some consensus among Irish people today about how they see their recent past, or is it still divisive?

Hi Essential. How far back do you want to go? because we begin in 1169

hits projector on, hands out piles of hangouts

In all seriousness, it is a long story and there's massives of information, it could take ages to even narrow down where to begin. Do you mean you're interested in what lead up to the GFA being so monumental in the last 50 odd years or further back?

I don't mind helping you find what you're interested in, from an Irish persons point of view, just like I said....there's an awful lot to it. And we have long memories 😁😁😁😁

Bloody hell paragraphs never work for me here...And that gin wasn't meant to be there...

I didn’t see any gin!

I suppose the things leading up to the GFA in the first instance, just so I have some jumping-off point.

I grew up in South Africa, so the long shadow of internal conflict is something I’m familiar with/interested in.

And thank you

There’s a good podcast on the history of the GFA from the BBC available at the moment

It’s from ‘today in focus’ itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/today-in-focus/id1440133626?mt=2

Also this www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-history-of-the-irish-border-from-plantation-to-brexit-1.3769423

Ah, that podcast looks super! Thank you, will download it for the morning.

That's probably way better than my plan of trying to condense colonialism and genocide in 2 quick paragraphs before jumping to the 60s with YouTube links and a list of films, thanks!😁

My DSis bought this for my English born and reared DH when we got married. I flicked through it. It's not horrible at explaining the basics to get you started.

This is excellent - very lengthy but you can probably dip in and out.