Focusing on the nationalist revolutionaries of Ireland between 1858 and 1928, this study examines the origins of the present-day Irish Republic. Drawing on private letters, diaries, and popular journalism, Garvin concludes that the radical elite who became rulers after 1921 were heavily influenced not only by ancient agrarian grievances, but also by contemporary Catholic abhorrence of the Protestant and secular world. An original contribution to Irish historiography, this book reconstructs the private thoughts behind public political figures.