‘The true remedy for Irish grievances is to be found in good political institutions’: E nglish radicals and I rish nationalism, 1847–74

This article examines how E nglish radicals reacted to the challenge of Irish nationalism in the mid nineteenth century. The Y oung I reland, F enian and H ome R ule movements brought forth responses from across the spectrum of E nglish radicalism, but scholars have neglected this topic, even as they have emphasized the importance of continental nationalisms for understanding English radicalism. This article, drawing on the radical press and manuscript sources, argues that a belief in the exceptional nature of the U nited K ingdom constitution, together with the growing importance of the imperial interest, convinced E nglish radicals to reject Irish nationalism.