August 2004

In 1900 Ireland was a restless, impoverished, neglected corner of the British Empire. By 2000 it had become the ‘Celtic Tiger’ of Europe. How did this happen?

This landmark book by one of Ireland’s most exciting young historians sets out to answer the question – what was it life to grow p and live in 20th century Ireland? – and is the first comprehensive social, political, cultural, intellectual and economic survey of that Irish century. In this book the author draws together the many threads that make up the complex story – from the drama of its politics to the ‘hidden pasts’ drawn from memoirs and previously unused sources. The book is also a history of a society, both North and South. In dealing with the bitter struggles in the North, it focuses on the social and cultural aspects, not just the obvious political and religious divisions. It also considers women in a way no previous account of modern Ireland has. From religion to literature, from family to football, this book is a seminal work.