Forkhill Protestants, Forkhill Catholics, 1787–1858

Leonard Adams is a professor of French Studies at the University of
Guelph.

Kyla Madden’s book opens with a rather graphic description of a home
invasion and an aggravated assault in Forkhill leading up to a brutal
attack on Alexander Berkley and his wife in the winter of 1791. The
couple were Protestants who had moved into the Forkhill community, a
Catholic stronghold. This incident is the author’s introduction to the
story of sectarian tensions known to the area for many years.
Nevertheless, Madden contends that basing the history of Northern
Ireland solely on sectarianism has it dangers, since such an approach is
likely to lead to the worst kind of stereotyping.

Madden’s mission is to call into question the half-truths that have
distorted reporting on the reasons for tension and resentment that
played a role in the disturbances in the region in the 18th and 19th
centuries. She highlights certain long-held assumptions about the
behaviour of religious groups—assumptions that often introduced
distortions into the political and religious past of the Irish people.
The fiscal system, land ownership, education, and other aspects of local
life in the area are carefully analysed. Madden’s investigation is
detailed, her arguments explicit and convincing, and her choice of areas
for emphasis justified. The statistical tables she presents are relevant
and strategically positioned. The potato famine and its aftermath are
well-documented. Her copious notes and the historical glimpses she
provides add to our understanding of interaction that occurred in Ulster
during this period.