Sean Joseph Connolly, (born 9 December 1951) is an Irish historian, initially specialising in the social history of Irish Catholicism in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, but more recently on post-Reformation and early modern Ireland and modern Belfast. From 1996 to 2017, he was professor of Irish history at

Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

, and has been emeritus professor there since 2017. After completing his undergraduate degree at

University College, Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

, and his doctorate at the

University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

, Connolly worked as an archivist at

Public Record Office of Ireland The National Archives of Ireland ( ga, Cartlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is the official repository for the state records of Ireland. Established by the National Archives Act 1986, taking over the functions of the State Paper Office (founded 17 ...

from 1977 to 1980, before spending a year lecturing in history at

St Patrick's College, Dublin St Patrick's College ( ga, Coláiste Phádraig), often known as St Pat's, was a third level institution in Ireland, the leading function of which was as the country's largest primary teacher training college, which had at one time up to 2,000 s ...

; he returned to the University of Ulster in 1981 as a lecturer and became a reader there in 1990. Connolly was also Vice-President of the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

from 2014 to 2016, and was twice editor of the journal '' Irish Economic and Social History'' (from 1982 to 1990, and from 2000 to 2002)."Connolly, Prof. Sean Joseph"
''Who's Who'' (online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2017). Retrieved 12 April 2018."Prof Sean Connolly"
''Queen's University Belfast''. Retrieved 12 April 2018."Professor Sean Connolly"
''British Academy''. Retrieved 12 April 2018.

Honours

In July 2016, Connolly was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

(FBA), the United Kingdom's

national academy A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, most frequently in the sciences but also the humanit ...

for the humanities and social sciences."Elections to the British Academy celebrate the diversity of UK research"
''British Academy'', 5 August 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018. He was also elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1995 and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Selected works

* ''Priests and People in Pre-Famine Ireland 1780–1945'', 1982 * ''Religion and Society in Nineteenth-Century Ireland'' (Dublin: Economic and Social History Society of Ireland, 1985). * ''Religion, Law and Power: the making of Protestant Ireland 1660–1760'', 1992 * (Editor) ''Conflict and Identity: Scotland and Ireland 1500-1939'' (Carnegie Publishing, 1995). * (Editor) ''The Oxford Companion to Irish History'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998). * (Editor) ''Kingdoms United? Great Britain and Ireland since 1500: Integration and Diversity'' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1998). * (Editor) ''Political Ideas in Eighteenth-Century Ireland'' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000). * ''Contested Island: Ireland 1460–1630'', '' Oxford History of Early Modern Europe'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007). * ''Divided Kingdom: Ireland 1630–1800'', ''Oxford History of Early Modern Europe'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). * (Editor) ''Belfast 400: People, Place and History'' (Liverpool University Press, 2012).

References

1951 births Living people Alumni of University College Dublin Alumni of Ulster University Academics of Ulster University Academics of Queen's University Belfast Fellows of the British Academy Members of the Royal Irish Academy Fellows of the Royal Historical Society {{Ireland-historian-stub