'Conflict in 19th Century Ireland' is a comprehensive account of the birth of the modern era in Irish politics. Opening with the passing of the Act of Union, one of the pivotal events in Irish history, Dr Rees commences a detailed study of the development of the two great opposing forces in Irish political life. On the nationalist side, the study encompasses the struggle for Catholic emancipation and then Home Rule, the rise of the Fenians and the growth of cultural nationalism. This is balanced by a look at the advent of unionism and the emerging sense of a unique identity within Ulster's Unionist community.