Franziska Heimburger: Question for colleagues who know more about Irish history than me. Students of mine are working on Erskine Childers' 1911 'The Framework of Home Rule'. I am wondering how new/controversial/unusual his statement "Ireland was the first and nearest of the British Colonies" was then.

Question for colleagues who know more about Irish history than me. Students of mine are working on Erskine Childers' 1911 'The Framework of Home Rule'. I am wondering how new/controversial/unusual his statement "Ireland was the first and nearest of the British Colonies" was then.