The Politics of Consumption in Eighteenth-Century Ireland - by Martyn J Powell (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book explores the politicization of consumer goods in eighteenth-century Ireland. Moving beyond tangible items purchased by consumers, it examines the political manifestations of the consumption of elite leisure activities, entertainment and display, and in doing so makes a vital contribution to work on the cultural life of the Protestant Ascendancy. As with many other areas of Irish culture and society, consumption cannot be separated from the problems of Anglo-Irish relations, and therefore an appreciation of these politcal overtones is vitally important.

Review Quotes

'Powell provides a well-informed, lively and frequently entertaining study. Above all, his work illustrates the potential for much more research on the subject.' - Liam Chambers, History, The Journal of the Historical Association

'The study, while highlighting key periods in Irish politics, forwards the argument for a link between English consumption and Irish emulation in a thought-provoking way and helps to fill a gap in a much neglected area which will surely advance and encourage further debate on the consumption patterns of Ireland in the eighteenth-century.' - Lisa Griffith, Eighteenth-Century Ireland

About the Author

MARTYN J. POWELL is Lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK. He has published widely on eighteenth-century Britain and Ireland. His first book Britain and Ireland in the Eighteenth-Century Crisis of Empire was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2003.