Caoimhín De Barra is assistant professor of Irish studies at Gonzaga University.
"As a way of imagining a collective cultural and political
identity, insular Celticism is essentially a phenomenon of the
second half of the nineteenth century—the title of Caoimhín De
Barra’s The Coming of the Celts, AD 1860 is provocatively witty but
accurate. In his finely researched and lucidly written study, De
Barra details the rise, ebb, and flow of the idea of a common
Celtic identity linking Ireland and Wales." —The New York Review of
Books
"At the core of this deeply researched book is an original study of
how Wales became part of the Irish nationalist imagination—both as
inspiration and reproach—from the late nineteenth century to the
creation of the Irish Free State and beyond. It sheds valuable new
light on the transnational influences on Irish nationalism by
exploring the interactions between nationalists in Ireland and
Wales, and it uses these two historical case studies skillfully to
illuminate wider debates about the role of language in modern
nationalism." —Paul O’Leary, Aberystwyth University
"The Coming of the Celts places the political and cultural
nationalist campaigns of the Irish and Welsh into dialogue with one
another, offering readers a fresh perspective on the turn of the
twentieth century. De Barra significantly enhances our appreciation
for the numerous cross-currents in play and provides readers with a
plausible explanation for the waxing and waning of the Pan-Celtic
impulse on both sides of the Irish Sea. Grounded in contemporary
correspondence and press sources, this work expands our
understanding of pan-nationalist invention at a seminal moment in
the history of British-Irish relations." —Timothy G. McMahon,
author of Grand Opportunity: The Gaelic Revival and Irish Society,
1893–1910
"Engagingly written, well researched and grounded in both Irish and
Welsh language sources, this is an important and much needed study
that usefully reframes the history of Irish and Welsh nationalism.
Moving beyond the bilateral relationship with an English 'Other,'
De Barra’s exploration of the ideological interconnections and
limitations of Celtic identity in Ireland and Wales is compelling
and insightful." —John S. Ellis, University of Michigan-Flint
“This book is an important piece of original research and it makes
a solid contribution to the fields of Irish studies, Celtic
studies, and political science. The contribution is its attempt to
connect Welsh and Irish nationalism which, to my knowledge, has not
been done explicitly by others in these fields. Thus, its focus on
cultural issues and their connection to politics make the book
unique. It is exceptionally informative, clear, and well-written.”
—Kurt Jefferson, Westminster College
“. . . a significant contribution to understanding the cultural and
political affinities, exchanges and differences between Ireland and
Wales during a crucial time.” —Books Ireland
"In this exhaustively researched and absorbing book, De Barra
(Drew) explores the problematic nature of the word Celtic as it
applied to the populations of Ireland and Wales before and after
1860. . . . De Barra’s conclusion that the ethnic sense of national
identity characterized by being Celtic may soon become disentangled
by immigration and a focus on civic participation is timely
indeed." —Choice
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