The Origins of Sectarianism in Early Modern Ireland

Within a country where religious divisions have both a long history and a direct contemporary relevance, this book examines how they first emerged in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Leading Irish historians examine how separate Catholic and Protestant church structures and communities were created both nationally and locally. They analyze the ways in which the rival institutions influenced perceptions of religious difference, resulting in a pattern in Irish history of Protestants and Catholics living together as separate denominations.