Two centuries ago, Irish emigrants fled a society blighted by poverty and lack of opportunity. But they also became part of a massive population movement, compelled to abandon their homeland and explore new lives in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. What distinguishes the Irish from tens of millions of other European immigrants is the position they established in their new homes. Initially treated as a despised and exploited underclass, they created a commanding position, in politics, in the labour movement, and, by the twentieth century, as cultural icons.

Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research, and Sean Connolly's career-long engagement with the complexities of Irish identity, On Every Tide addresses wider, contemporary debates about migration, as well as offering a unique and distinctive view of two hundred years of Irish history.

'An accessible and impressively lucid overview of one of the great migrations in history' Marc Mulholland, Literary Review

'Essential reading for understanding how the people of Ireland shaped the world' Belfast Telegraph