Ireland and the First World War

“We had one of our most interactive question and answer sessions to date from a full house”.  

Luton Irish Forum presented the latest in its series of free cultural seminars entitled Ireland and the First World Warat their Centre last Tuesday [27th January] with guest speaker Jim O'Hara, history lecturer and founder of the Irish Studies Centre at St Mary's University College, London.

The First World War changed fundamentally the course of European and world history and is one of the most decisive events in modern Irish history. The Ireland which emerged at the end of the conflict in 1918 was radically different from that of 1914 and the war's consequences were to reverberate long afterwards. This lecture considered the ways in which the Irish people and political groupings, both nationalist and unionist, responded to the changing conditions produced by the war. As well as analysing the failure to achieve Home Rule, the lecture examined the consequences of military and revolutionary violence and assessed the aims and effectiveness of British government policy in Ireland during these years. 

Noreen Kellett, Trustee of Luton Irish Forum and MC for the evening said ‘we thoroughly enjoyed Jim O’Hara’s presentation.  It was informed, clear and easy to understand by all attendees including those without an academic background.  We had one of our most interactive question and answer sessions to date from a full house.  We hope that Jim O’Hara will visit us again in the near future’.