Athlone: 1900–1923 is perhaps the most detailed analysis ever carried out for an Irish town during these tumultuous times. It is a meticulously researched study of how the developing fortunes of Irish nationalism played out on a local stage, a study that helps the modern reader to appreciate just how the momentous political changes affected the lives of the town's citizens. Throughout this work, the motivations and ideologies of the local personalities that lent colour to much of what occurred are analysed, as are the effects of national and international events on Athlone’s development.