History Studies: University of Limerick History Society Journal Vol (4)

It is with great pleasure that the editors present volume four of History Studies. It is hoped that the reader finds this volume a worthy successor to the preceeding volumes, these provide the foundations upon which we have sought to build. This journal represents a vital and in many respects a unique link between the University of Limerick History Society, Department of History and the broader university communities. The key function of this publication is to act as a gateway, providing an opportunity to young scholars to publish portions of their work. It also contributes to what is an impressive profile of historical publishing within the University of Limerick student community. As editors we were constantly humbled by the breadth and depth of the subjects tackled by the authors. It was our intention to provide as free a canvass as possible, to allow the contributors to explore their topics as they wished. This approach was pursued with the intenlion of creating a collection of pieces, that as well as supplying the reader with information, was also lively and entenaining. The greatest joy for us was when assembling the final document, the thematic interrelationships revealed themselves. It is our hope that History Studies is a much a joy to read as it was to edit. Declan Jackson John Maguire