Hymnals as Historical Documents: A Contextualisation of the Church Hymnal and its Representation of the Church of Ireland and its People 1864–1919

Congregational hymn-singing has played a central role in the worship of the Church of Ireland for centuries. This dissertation takes into account the first three editions of the Church Hymnal, published between 1864 and 1919, and discusses the reasons behind their publication before analysing their content with regard to main themes, sources, and contributors. The information acquired through this analysis is then looked at within the wider context of the times in which they were published. This contextualisation unlocks broader themes within the hymnals relating to the Church of Ireland, not just as a religious denomination, but as a section of Irish and British society. This allows for these collections to create a snapshot of the Church of Ireland and its people during this period.