James Fintan Lalor’s plan ‘to rebuild Ireland from her ruins’ as outlined in his public and private writings of 1847 and 1848

Thesis

This thesis examines the public and private writings of James Fintan Lalor, with particular emphasis on his treatment of the national and land questions. The three-fold objective is to elucidate Lalor’s key messages under these headings, explore possible influences on his thinking, and assess the impact of his writings on his contemporaries. The thesis attempts to address two deficiencies in the historiography. The first is the tendency of scholars to assign only a minor, supporting role to Lalor during the brief heyday of Young Ireland. He is usually portrayed merely as a catalyst in the radicalisation of figures like John Mitchel, rather than as a profound and original thinker in his own right. Although a few scholars disagree, Lalor’s proposals on land tenure are mostly interpreted as foreshadowing the creation of a ‘peasant proprietary’ later in the century. The thesis argues that Lalor advocated a much more radical plan that would link his two primary objectives: the creation of a sovereign Irish republic, and transfer of control over landholding from a small number of landlords to the entire Irish people. In framing the latter objective, Lalor anticipated the Single Tax promoted by Henry George, whereby all citizens would benefit from the income generated by land use. Elements of his doctrines on nationalism and land tenure can be found in earlier sources, such as the principles espoused by the United Irishmen or the radical ideas on landholding proposed by Chartists such as ‘Bronterre’ O’Brien. However, no clear thread of influence can be detected in the development of Lalor’s thinking. Amidst the turmoil caused by the Famine and the spread of revolutionary fervour from Europe, Lalor’s carefully-crafted ideas on landholding received little support or understanding, and his vision of a sovereign Ireland, in which the land itself would be subject to the will of the people, was largely ignored.

Authors: Bruce, J

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-y057rmgzb
• Type of award: MLitt
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Subjects: Irish land question; Young Ireland; Famine (Ireland : 1845-1852)