Ireland as It Is, and as It Would Be Under Home Rule

"Ireland as It Is, and as It Would Be Under Home Rule" by Robert John Buckley is a collection of letters written by the author while working as a special commissioner for a newspaper in Birmingham, giving a snapshot of Ireland in the late 1800s during passionate clash around the idea of Home Rule. The book highlights the political unease, social problems, and possible effects of the suggested Home Rule laws, as well as the differences between Irish Nationalists and Unionists back in 1893. Beginning with the author's arrival in Dublin amid heated arguments about Home Rule, he observes intense opposition from the industrial and educated groups. Buckley's interactions with different people show a wide range of opinions and fears about what Home Rule might bring, especially pointing out the difference between the worried upper classes of Dublin and the more unbelieving but hopeful poorer communities, which paints a complicated picture of Ireland's political and social situation at the time.