Author: T. Desmond Williams

Publisher: Dublin : Gill and Macmillan ; New York : Barnes & Noble Books

Published: 1973

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13:

Secret societies have had a greater impact on the history of Ireland than on that of any other country in Western Europe. The Whiteboys, Defenders, Ribbonmen and other oath-bound bodies of peasants who congregated by moonlight in secluded spots to terrorize the surrounding countryside: the politically motivated United Irishmen; the Fenian Brotherhood and the IRB (in America as well as Ireland); the ultra-extremist Invincibles; the post-treaty IRA- organizations such as these have become part of the national folklore, and their leaders are legendary figures. This book sheds new light on the mysterious origins of the societies and describes exactly how they were organized, how they operated, and to what extent they influenced their contemporaries. They also deal with important semi-secret organizations: the Orange Order in the numerous phases of its existence, the Freemasons, and the various radical movements of the inter-war years. Also discussed is the attitude of the church towards secret societies and also the counter-intelligence work of the Dublin Castle authorities and G Division. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive investigation of the internal affairs of Irish secret societies and an assessment of their role in the country's political and social development. In tracing the 200-year-old tradition of subversive activity, it reveals an entirely new 'hidden Ireland'- a submerged political culture embodying the secret aspirations of the Irish people. -- Publisher description.