For this week, discuss various historians’ views on the economy, society and culture of the Irish.  What did you learn about Irish society and is there anything you can highlight as being different from early modern English society?  How do different historians portray Irish society – as backward or primitive or as part of an ancient, learned culture?  Do any of your readings use a negative /celebratory / neutral tone?

What did you learn about voyages of exploration and discovery?  What were the motivating factors or the drivers for overseas expansion?  What did you glean about early modern Englishmen and their ideas about ’empire’ – what did it mean for them?  Comment on any other arguments or discussions you found helpful or interesting in your reading.

Discuss the reading you have done for this seminar.  What are the main findings or conclusions you have drawn from it?  Did any historian take a particular argument or present a certain perspective you found interesting?  Much of this may be unfamiliar to many of you so take your time to outline what you found new or interesting.