The end of Irish history?

Ireland appears to be in the throes of a remarkable process of social change. Since the 1990s, the apparently inescapable status of the 26 counties as an economic casualty has been dramatically reversed. In recent years, it has become commonplace for the Irish Republic to register formal rates of economic growth that are the envy of every other western European state.

The purpose of this text is to scrutinize systematically the interpretations and prescriptions that inform the deceptively simple metaphor of the "Celtic Tiger". The standpoint of the book is that a more critical approach to the course of development being followed by the Republic is urgently required. The essays collected here set out to expose the fallacies that drive the fashionable rhetoric of Tigerhood.

Four of these fallacies— that Ireland has cast off the chains of economic dependency; that everyone is benefiting from the economic recovery; that personal freedom and liberty are at an unprecedented level for all citizens; and that Ireland is also experiencing a period of strong cultural renaissance—are vigorously challenged.

The contributors deal with issues such as immigration, women's issues, globalization, and changing economic and social conditions. This book should be essential reading for all students of modern Ireland.