Ireland’s Imposter Aristocrats

Ireland’s Imposter Aristocrats

By Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney

Tim published a book! 

How does nobility work as a power strategy,  why does it bear so many curious similarities to the construct of race, and what does all of this have to do with Ireland?

We delve into Tim's book,  "Nobility and the Making of Race in Eighteenth-Century Britain", published by Bloomsbury Academic this autumn, and uncover the intricate power dynamics of Irish nobility in the eighteenth century. We find out how during this age of colonial expansion European naturalists began to classify global populations according to ancient traditions of blood hierarchy, reimagining white Europeans as the natural aristocracy of mankind. We also explore how the very idea of "natural nobility" in Ireland at this time brought up profound anxieties, revealing a dangerous power vacuum at the heart of colonial rule.   

Listeners can buy "Nobility and the Making of Race in Eighteenth-Century Britain" on the Bloomsbury Publishing website: www.bloomsbury.com

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