Q1: Why is Shackleton described as British even though he was born in Ireland?
A1: The entire island of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when Shackleton was born. Shackleton and his Anglo-Irish family were therefore technically British citizens. Additionally, Shackleton is not known to have ever described himself as or considered himself to be ‘Irish’. Indeed, he was a committed British Unionist and opposed Irish Home Rule (self-government) as a member of the Liberal Unionist Party. In Shackleton’s era, Irish national identity was overwhelmingly exclusive to Roman Catholics. Protestants like Shackleton overwhelmingly identified as British and valued Ireland’s political and cultural relationship with Great Britain. This is due to the fact that Britishness and Protestantism were inextricably linked. Many Protestants feared Irish nationalism due to its links with republicanism and Catholicism. British is therefore a more accurate descriptor of Shackleton as it fits his cultural identity and political ideology.
Q2: Would Anglo-Irish be a better description of Shackleton’s nationality?
A2: The historical term ‘Anglo-Irish’ applies to a cultural and political class that once existed in Ireland. It does not refer to a distinct nationality or even an ethnicity. This class of people were mostly ethnically and culturally English. Most considered themselves to be British and opposed Irish nationalism.
