This is an unusual history book in that it aims to provide a detailed "snapshot" of a relatively short period rather than the more usual narrative of events over a longer timespan. At a time when the birth of the next century is so eagerly anticipated, A New Day Dawning attempts a comprehensive political, cultural and social history of the early years of Ireland's twentieth century.
The Irish revival of the turn of the century is often dismissed as a time of anti-modern traditionalism and Celtic mysticism, light years away from the "sophisticated" present, yet Daniel Mulhall sees things differently. The portrait he paints is of a country experiencing rapid and profound change, where ideas about politics, society, art and economics matter and are hotly debated. This is a period when Ireland rediscovered the ability to be culturally creative and began to question its relentless consumption of ideas from elsewhere.
Mulhall, Ireland's Consul General to Scotland and an historian by training, draws on a wide range of primary sources (including newspapers, census returns and official reports) to construct a range of "Irish realities" at the turn of the last century. Not only do we get an insight into the great intellectual debates of the day, but a range of experiences - including those of the Anglo-Irish, the urban poor, women's rights activists, advanced nationalists, Irish sportsmen and criminals - is deftly presented. Yet A New Day Dawning avoids insularity by consciously highlighting points of contact/divergence between Irish historical experience and wider European trends. In this regard, the analysis is greatly enhanced by the author's diplomatic experiences abroad.
Part of the appeal of this book is the focus on the popular mind, often missing in more academic histories. Mulhall is fascinated by the events that captured the public imagination. Chief among these is the Boer War, which was roundly condemned by a nationalist Ireland in the process of formulating its own foreign policy. The visit of Queen Victoria in 1900 also loomed large and divided the country along predictable political lines. Other popular events of note dealt with here include the first St Patrick's Day parade and various sporting occasions.
The final chapter bravely attempts a comparison between Ireland of 1900 and the present-day situation. Generally speaking, Mulhall applauds the material and economic advances of the twentieth century even if he is wary of the ascendancy of individualism over "collective national aspiration". There is a final plea here for the cultivation of "Irish distinctiveness" into the new millennium, yet how this is to be achieved in an increasingly multi-cultural Ireland is not broached. Perhaps the key is to stress Irish innovation over Irish distinctiveness.
A New Day Dawning is a well-illustrated and insightful account of 1900s Ireland. It is a book aimed at the general reader but which also makes a significant contribution to the scholarship of the period. It will remain valuable long after the millennium hype has come and gone.
P J Mathews is currently editing New Voices in Irish Criticism, which will be published shortly. He lectures in the School of English, Trinity College Dublin.