This book is the only study in full of Bulmer Hobson (1883-1969) examining his nationalist career in the period 1900-16, as well as his lesser-known activities in the years after the rebellion

Bulmer Hobson (1883-1969) abandoned the pacifism of his Ulster Quaker roots to become a key leader in the Irish nationalist movement in the period leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising. However, his disapproval of what he considered an untimely rebellion and his evasion of arrest in its aftermath helped to scuttle a promising political career in an independent Ireland. Sidelined at a critical time and maligned by some republican colleagues, Hobson has not been the subject of a published study until now, despite the leading roles that he played in the advanced nationalist movement. This book outlines and assesses Hobson’s nationalist career in the period 1900-16, exploring his contributions to the Gaelic League, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Sinn Féin movement, Na Fianna Éireann and the Irish Volunteers. It also examines his lesser-known activities as a publisher, civil servant and economic propagandist in the years after the Rising. As such, it fills a significant gap in the historiography of Irish nationalism in the twentieth century.

This book will be of interest to historians and political scientists specializing in twentieth-century Ireland and the Irish revolution, Irish Studies scholars, and students of these disciplines. It will also appeal to the general reader with an interest in the history of the Irish revolution.