Going right to the heart of the Irish Question, Paul Bew offers a re-interpretation of Irish politics in the critical 1912-1916 period. Bew offers a full treatment of the debate concerning land, economy, religion, language, and national identity in the period, and ends with a discussion of the Easter Rising of 1916 which destroyed Redmond's party. The political, cultural, and economic implications of this development are drawn out, and Bew examines their continuing effect on Irish history.