LC History study guide
LC History · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Leaving Certificate History is a written examination subject in the Irish senior-cycle Leaving Certificate programme, typically taken over two years and examined at Higher and Ordinary level. It suits students who enjoy reading, arguing from evidence and writing at length: the assessment rewards clear thesis-driven essays and close reading of documents rather than memorised lists of dates. The LC History study guide has 6 sections and about 1,999 words.
01Working with Evidence: Research, Sources and the Historian's Craft
Working with Evidence examines the historian's craft: how sources are found, read, tested and used to answer a question. The exam rewards precise handling of provenance and purpose, not a summary of what a source says.
373 words, about 2 min02Ireland: Sovereignty, Union, Home Rule, Independence and Northern Ireland
Ireland: Topics in Irish History tests how well you explain change over time in sovereignty, union, home rule, independence and Northern Ireland, using evidence rather than slogan. The Act of Union (1801) created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; 'union' meant legislative integration at Westminster, not federalism.
387 words, about 2 min03Europe and the Wider World: Dictatorship, Democracy and International Relations
Europe and the Wider World: Dictatorship, Democracy and International Relations tests comparison across regimes and the making and breaking of international order, 1920–1945 and beyond. Distinguish regime types: authoritarian, totalitarian, fascist, communist.
313 words, about 2 min04The United States and the Wider World
The United States and the Wider World tests how domestic politics, ideology and power shaped US engagement from the founding to the present. The Constitution divides foreign policy: the President negotiates and commands; the Senate ratifies treaties and confirms appointments; Congress funds and declares war.
304 words, about 2 min05Case Study: The Historian's Craft and Historical Investigation
Case Study: The Historian's Craft and Historical Investigation tests independent inquiry: framing a question, selecting and evaluating sources, and reflecting on your own process. The research study report rewards a narrow, evidence-based project, not a broad narrative.
317 words, about 2 min06Historical Skills: Interpretation, Comparison and Evaluation of Sources
Historical Skills: Interpretation, Comparison and Evaluation tests your ability to judge sources, not merely understand them. The exam asks what a source means, how it relates to another, and how far it can be trusted for a given purpose.
305 words, about 2 min