Preventing the Future

by Tom Garvin

From the mid-thirties to 1960, independent Ireland endured economic stagnation and a period of intense cultural and psychological repression. External circumstances - the depression of the thirties, World War II and post-war trade barriers which discouraged exports - accounted for only part of the problem. This book argues that the situation was aggravated by internal circumstances: especially the failure to extend higher and technical education to larger sections of the population. This failure was due to political stalemates in a small country; derived in particular from the power of the Catholic Church, the strength of the small-farm community, the ideological wish to preserve an older society and, later, gerontocratic tendencies in the social and political elites. mass education resulted in large numbers of young people being denied preparation for life in the modern world and, arguably, denied Ireland a sufficient supply of trained labour and educated citizens.

Genres: Ireland, History, Nonfiction

278 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2004

About the author

Tom Christopher Garvin was an Irish political scientist and historian. He was Professor Emeritus of Politics at University College Dublin. He retired from lecturing duties in August 2008. He was an alumnus of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair, I only read the beginning and end of this, but basically if you'd like a neoliberal theory about why the Irish were too "backward" to succeed and why they should "accept" the fact that they have to become "Ireland Inc." to succeed in the world, then this book is for you.

From skimming about 15 books for the prospectus I wrote, the consensus on Irish people was that they were too stupid and controlled by the Catholic church to do anything until the 1960s. And even then, they started bombing people again because they're uncivilized savages, don't you know? If anyone thinks these stereotypes are over, you should watch Leap Year.

Okay. Don't. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

But I'm just sayin'.

[Diarmuid Angland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book, and written as it was just before the Celtic Tiger bubble burst may have shown that we weren’t free from a toxic deluded elite as we thought we were.

[Teamhair]

Fascinating analysis of the long struggle of the Irish state to modernise. An engaging read due to the clarity of Garvin's thinking and writing.