Louis Cullen facts for kids
Louis Michael Cullen (born 1932) is an Irish historian, author, and former diplomat. He is known for his important work studying the history of Ireland. He also has a special interest in Japan and its history.
For many years, he was a professor of Irish History at Trinity College in Dublin. Another famous historian, Nicholas Canny, once said that Louis Cullen was "the most prolific, most wide-ranging, and the most enterprising historian of his generation in Ireland." This means he wrote a lot, studied many different things, and was very creative in his historical research.
Early Life and Studies
Louis Cullen's family came from New Ross in County Wexford, Ireland. He loved history and studied it at university.
He earned a master's degree from University College Galway. For his master's project, he researched smuggling in Galway during the 1700s. He was also in charge of the History Society at the university in 1953 and 1954. After that, he went on to earn a doctorate degree from the London School of Economics. A doctorate is a very high academic degree.
A Career in History and Diplomacy
Louis Cullen started his career as a diplomat for Ireland. He worked at the Irish embassy in Paris, France. While there, he became very interested in the old trading connections between Ireland and France.
In 1963, he joined the history department at Trinity College as a lecturer. A lecturer is a university teacher. He became a Fellow in 1968, which is a special honor at the college. In 1972, he was made a full professor of Irish History.
He also helped start the Economic and Social History Society of Ireland in 1970. This group helps people study how money and society have changed over time in Ireland.
Louis Cullen can speak Japanese. Because of this, he wrote a book about the history of Japan from 1582 to 1941. His book called "An Economic History of Ireland Since 1660" has been printed many times. It is used as a textbook for students learning about Irish history.
Cullen's detailed studies of how the economy changed helped people understand Irish life better between 1700 and 1850. Before his work, many people thought that Dublin's economy declined after 1801 because of the Act of Union. This act joined Ireland with Britain and meant Ireland lost its own parliament.
However, Louis Cullen thought the decline was going to happen anyway. He believed it was because of the new steam-powered machines and factories of the Industrial Revolution. He suggested that even if Ireland had kept its own parliament, the economic changes would have still happened.
Selected Works
Louis Cullen has written many books and articles. Here are a few of his well-known works:
- Anglo-Irish Trade 1600-1800, 1968
- An Economic History of Ireland Since 1660, 1972
- The Emergence of Modern Ireland 1600-1900, 1981
- A History of Japan 1582-1941: Internal and External Worlds, 2003
See also
- List of Irish historians
