Euro
British Pound
Product Description
Civil War politics has defined the Irish political landscape for generations.
The parties which emerged from the divisions over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of
1921 dominated elections for decades. The war cast a long shadow over party
politics and elections in subsequent years.
In Kerry, the Civil War was more divisive, violent and protracted than
in any other county. Political discourse and electioneering in Kerry were infused
with the divisions and hatreds which the war had created. Elections brought
underlying tensions to the surface and were often occasions of violence fuelled
by fiery rhetoric from election platforms.
From Bullets to Ballots offers unique insights into the origins and
characteristics of Civil War politics in Ireland with particular focus on Kerry.
It is an in-depth examination of how politics developed in this constituency
in the decade after 1923. It reveals that, despite the underlying tensions and
a profound legacy of suffering and loss, democracy endured and the ballot
prevailed over the bullet as a means of settling political differences.
The results of elections for the Civil War parties, as well as other parties
who were not defined by the Treaty split, are considered in detail and highlight
significant deviations from national results. Key influences on electoral
behaviour are considered, including the extent of party organisation, the role
of party members, the dynamics of election campaigns, how the memory of
the Civil War was used to persuade voters, and the crucial role of newspapers
and their coverage of elections.
Owen O’Shea forensically investigates Kerry’s Civil War politics
by presenting the lived experience of elections for the party member, the
candidate, and the voter; how parties organised and campaigned; and what
influenced the choice of voters at the polls. Thus From Bullets to Ballots provides
the first ever examination of politics at the constituency level in the divisive
and decisive period of Irish history after 1923.
