Ireland and the Irish: Portrait of a Changing Society

by John Ardagh

Examines Ireland today and discusses the conflicts between the goals for integrating Ireland into the European Union and the reality of its tight hold on traditional and sometimes outdated practices

Genres: Ireland, Irish Literature, Nonfiction

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Karen]

I read this book in anticipation of a trip to Ireland, and overall I’m glad I did. This book is a bit dated, as it was published in 1994 with a short update/PS in 1995. But the first half of the book was quite fascinating, in terms of the mix of political/governmental/sociological aspects that make up Irish society. As the book went on, it seemed to lose its way a bit, and the last 100-150 pages were a slog. Large parts of it were quite dry. The ending wasn’t cohesive at all. And the author is clearly obsessed with France—the sheer number of references to France in this book was arresting. But as a first book in my long list of nerdy Irish history research, I think this was a good choice. I feel like I have the beginnings of a more solid picture of what makes this beautiful island what and who it is today. I see this book as a springboard toward some other books in my pile that I believe will be better-written and more clearly delineated in terms of a cohesive message.

[Paul]

Excellent book. The author interviewed a huge variety of people in order to give us a great picture of Ireland and her people. I am particularly impressed that the author was able to dissect the intricate complexities of the situation in Northern Ireland.