A History of Ireland

Term Paper

The term paper is a research project that requires you to articulate and defend a thesis

statement through the use of primary and/or secondary resources. The length requirement

is a minimum of 1500 words (which is roughly the equivalent of 2 pages), exclusive of

notes and headings, and standard formatting (single space, 1 in margins, Times

New Roman font) should be employed. All sources must be accurately cited in Chicago

format. The Online Writing Law (OWL) through Perdue University provides a helpful guide

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_fo

rmatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

Use of sources policy: 

You must cite a minimum of 2 scholarly, authoritative sources in

the course of your argument. These should be outside sources, beyond your courseassigned

text books. The course texts may be referenced as well, but your research

should extend beyond them. Scholarly, authoritative sources would include peerreviewed

journal articles (see JSTOR), monographs (scholarly books), and appropriate

government or university-sponsored webpages (i.e. “.edu” or “.gov”). While you may

use sources such as Wikipedia or popular history sites to get oriented with your topic,

they should not be employed as authoritative evidence in your paper. When employing

quotations, you should only utilize a small segment that directly pertains to your

argument. When a long quote is absolutely necessary, it must be indented and singlespaced.

Keep in mind, however, that quotations should be used to support your own

argument, not to make statements for you. Simple details and common knowledge facts

should not be quoted. All quoted or directly referenced material should be cited using

footnotes per Chicago manual of style.

Optional Topic Prompts

Important Note: The topic prompts offered below are optional, and you are permitted to

formulate your own topics as well. Just ensure that your chosen topic provides you with

a clear and defendable thesis statement. If you are unsure if your topic represents a clear

and defendable thesis, please feel to confer with me or the T.A. about it. Please also

understand that the below are PROMPTS, not thesis statements. Each prompt offers two

(or more) potential positions to defend. YOU must pick a side in order to formulate and

defend it as a thesis.

1. There has long been controversy surrounding the use of the term ‘Celtic’ in Irish

History. Discuss the meaning of ‘Celt’ to the Irish revolutionary movements. Do

you think the politicization of the term ‘Celt’ has effected the debate regarding the

study of past Celtic-speaking peoples and their origins?

2. Ireland is often called ‘the Isle of Saints’ due to the many highly influential

church intellectuals that were born and trained in Ireland before migrating to

continental courts. Discuss the influence of the Irish peregrini movement on

continental Christianity. Is it accurate to claim that the Irish “saved civilization”?

3. Discuss the role that the Vikings invasions played in Ireland. Was their impact

negative, positive, or a balance of the two?

4. Discuss the career of Brian Boru. How accurate is the depiction of Brian as the

‘savior of Ireland’ from the foreign threat of the Vikings? In the end, what would

you consider to be Brian’s most enduring legacies in Irish history?

5. Critics of the English government’s policies during the Great Famine have raised

the charge of genocide since the time of the Famine itself. How do the events of

the Famine compare to current UN definitions of Genocide, and in what ways is

the accusation justified or not justified?

6. Discuss the role of the Norman invasion and subsequent English colony in

Ireland. Was their impact negative, positive, or a balance of the two?

7. Do you see a relationship between Daniel O’Connell’s peaceful resistance

movement and the physical force movements that followed? Why or why not?

8. Critically examine the events leading up to and after the Easter Rising of 1916.

Was the Rising a dismal failure or the spark to the flame of Irish freedom? Would

an independent Ireland have been inevitable without the Rising, or was it a

necessary catalyst?

9. Critically examine the events of the War of Independence and the Anglo-Irish

Treaty of 1921. Was the Treaty a betrayal of 1916 or the only real path to achieve

freedom for Ireland?