A New Ireland: How Europe's Most Conservative Country Became Its Most Liberal

by Niall O'Dowd

It’s not your father’s Ireland. Not anymore. A story of modern revolution in Ireland told by the founder of IrishCentral, Irish America magazine, and the Irish Voice newspaper.

In a May 2019 countrywide referendum, Ireland voted overwhelmingly to make abortion legal; three years earlier, it had done the same with same-sex marriage, becoming the only country in the world to pass such a law by universal suffrage. Pope Francis’s visit to the country saw protests and a fraction of the emphatic welcome that Pope John Paul’s had seen forty years earlier. There have been two female heads of state since 1990, the first two in Ireland’s history. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, an openly gay man of Indian heritage, declared that “a quiet revolution had taken place.”

It had. For nearly all of its modern history, Ireland was Europe’s most conservative country. The Catholic Church was its most powerful institution and held power over all facets of Irish life. 

But as scandal eroded the Church’s hold on Irish life, a new Ireland has flourished. War in the North has ended. EU membership and an influx of American multinational corporations have helped Ireland weather economic depression and transform into Europe’s headquarters for Apple, Facebook, and Google.

With help from prominent Irish and Irish American voices like historian and bestselling author Tim Pat Coogan and the New York Times’s Maureen Dowd, A New Ireland tells the story of a modern revolution against all odds.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Politics, Travel, Audiobook, Irish Literature

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2020

About the author

Niall O’Dowd is founder and editor of The Irish Voice newspaper and Irish America magazine and creator of irishcentral.com , the global Irish portal site launched in March 2009. He is also the author of Fire in the Morning, a book on the Irish in the World Trade Centre on 9/11. He is a frequent analyst on Irish-American affairs for CNN, for RTE and other radio and TV networks. Born in Tipperary and raised in Drogheda, he is based in New York

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Niall O’Dowd provides a rather extensive and detailed history of the Catholic Church’s prominent role in Irish history, the “two Irelands” —the old, conservative-religious state and the new, secular-democracy—can arguably be represented by just two influential icons: John McQuaid and Mary Robinson, respectively.

If you want to see what was wrong with the Ireland of the mid-twentieth century, look no further than the former Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid. McQuaid was a tyrant who held unprecedented influence over the politics and policies of Ireland for more than three decades. An alleged pedophile himself, McQuaid was instrumental in the coverup of horrific sex crimes committed by Irish Catholic priests—including the atrocities carried out by the psychopathic Father Brendan Smyth. Smyth, a monster if ever there was one, was later convicted of sexually assaulting at least 143 children in Dublin, Belfast, and the United States.

“McQuaid, his intelligence fed by a network of informants, had a finger in every pie: demolishing the Mercier Society of lay Catholics (because they tried to initiate dialogue with Protestants and Jews); vetoing women's athletics; preventing Sean O'Faolain becoming director of the new Arts Council; stopping the American star Jayne Mansfield's visit to Tralee; banning Tampax, an O'Casey play and Donleavy's The Ginger Man. Finally…the Pill.” -Belfast Telegraph, 24 March, 2010

Mary Robinson is the “New Ireland” personified. Not only was she the first woman elected to the Irish presidency, she was the first person elected to that position without the support of the ultra conservative-Christian republican party, Fianna Fáil. Robinson championed the legalization of divorce, the legalization of contraception, and the decriminalization of homosexuality. To date, she is the most popular Irish president in history, garnering, at one point, an approval rating of 93%.

“Former president, Mary Robinson, is the most consequential Irish woman of the 20th century. Don’t take my word for it—a nationwide survey by RTÉ Television in 2010 named Mary Robinson as the only woman in the top five, and she placed third behind Nobel Prize winner John Hume and War of Independence hero Michael Collins.” -Irish Central, 10 March, 2023

O’Dowd writes with fervor and contagious passion. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to read this and not be zealously optimistic about the future of the Irish Republic. Five stars.

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although most of this book can be summarized as "the Irish people finally realized that the leadership of the Catholic church is corrupt and filled with evil people," this book does a great job of mapping out exactly how everything happened.

[Ilia Markov · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting – if slightly weirdly written – account of the social history of Ireland. From the title and the blurb, I was expecting to read a social history of Ireland in the 20th century – how the country gradually became less conservative and opened up and how that led to the changes in the Irish society which led to the "Celtic Tiger". However, the book starts with a fixation on the role of the Catholic church, then goes back all the way to St. Patrick, follows Ireland through the centuries, before it finally arrives back in the present.

Nevertheless, it's well-written, easy to follow and an engaging read (or listen – in my case)

[Kk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for a stunning audiobook...nonfiction work

WARNING !!!!!! Lots of horrible facts are imparted. Child abuse, molestation, rape, child rape. No graphic details only statistics...

"Never was such a valuable possession so stupidly and recklessly managed..." Dr. Franklin from the pay "1776"...

Growing up, I had heard of Irish stories from family as we have our roots there. It was a brush here and there at family reunions, the warm feeling when I watch a movie set in Ireland or read a Gaelic historical text. I guess I am Irish adjacent in the best sense...

I understood Ireland through its history as the closest thing on the planet to a Christian/ Catholic theocracy. The splitting of the country into Ireland and Northern Ireland should have heralded a golden age after the oppressed where freed from foreign rule. However, it was basically exchanging one tyrant overseas for another. Years of ultraconservative leadership subjugated the population, using the religion as the literal whip to keep them in place. It was horrific. Children were molested by priests, the victims blamed for the offense. Women were raped by priests, beaten by nuns, forced to give up their babies, and enslaved in Magdalene Laundries. It wasn't until the millennium, that the people rose up and said 'Enough'...

While they take steps onto the international stage thanks to foreign investment, Ireland has been become a beacon of tolerance and modernity thanks to these achievements. The US should take a clover leaf their book and stop trying to incorporate religion into government. It never works out well..

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this quite interesting. It took a few chapters for it to pick up for me, but it got better as it went along. The part on marriage equality actually brought tears to my eyes! Obviously this won't cover every influence, but it does a pretty good job explaining Ireland's journey from very conservative to quite liberal.

[Jacob M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the history of Ireland’s social revolution. A very in depth look at the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Irish government. I think the book would be better served if the author also discussed some of the other factors in Ireland’s drastic swing from one of the “most conservative” countries in Europe to one of the “most liberal.” I don’t doubt the scandals around the church supercharged this change but the author makes it seem like this was THE factor.

[Patrick Madden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy the way the book was structured and the constant foreshadowing to a revelation that would change Ireland as a whole- but the history subject is SO interesting. As fascism creeps around the corners, we could learn a lot about Ireland’s fast escape from the clutches of the Catholic Church

[Ben Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I think this book does a good job at explaining some of Ireland's political transformation over the last 40 years but completely neglects others. It puts a huge emphasis on the internal scandals in the Catholic Church (like many commentators do) as well as a focus on individuals who pushed more liberal agendas. It pays very little attention to the role of RTÉ and in particular the Late Late Show which was one of the wheels the old guard was at least questioned. Another thing not discussed in any substantial detail is the role economic prosperity and boom in the 90s and 2000s brought Irish society more in tune with the rest of Europe and the English speaking world.

I also feel in focusing on figures like David Norris and Mary Robinson it doesn't give enough commentary to the fact that despite these figures being politically pariahs, there was still a much larger electorate who shared their views that previously thought (as the Citizen's Assemblies on the Gay marriage referendum and the 8th amendment showed too).

Overall this book does do a good job at showing how a lot of the hypocrisy and arrogance of the Irish Catholic Church undermined its position as a moral authority in the state but omits the necessary detail on other important factors that let to liberalisation in Ireland.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the topic, but I was left wishing that it had been covered just a little bit better. The amount of history that was covered was great, as that context is needed to understand how the country had evolved. The shortness of each chapter helped in its readability. But the deeper you get into the book, the more the timelines of events jumped around and made comprehending the sequence of events confusing. And the ending - the book concludes just a little too abruptly, and not satisfying enough for where you're left hanging. I literally turned the page expecting more, only to be met with the endnotes...

[Kay Saxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new country

A great, heart-warming yet heart-breaking, account of the rise of a modern, liberal Ireland and the demise and betrayal of an authoritarian, misogynistic Catholic patriarchy.
An amazing revelation of human spirit, revitalised and reformed. From the depths of despair, from English despotism, famine, child abuse and the suppression of human, especially women's and gay, rights, to a new, inclusive, humanitarian ethos. This book takes you on a journey from darkness into the light.

[Keith Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

See Catholicism's version of Sharia Law in action over seventy years. Narrow minded clerics, and morally corrupt politicians worked hand in glove to control the population. And they wonder why Ireland now has one of the lowest levels of regular church attendance in Europe!

[Pat Druid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've marked this five stars even though I consider the structure of the book to be flawed, leading to some awkward repetition, because the content is fascinating. It's one so full of important material that it needs a reread to make sue you get all the details.

[Arnab · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange, bizarrely-disjointed, almost stream-of-consciousness work of modern history. Not recommended for serious readers wishing to know about recent Irish history.

[Kaylee Schmelzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked: This was a really searing examination of Ireland's political values and how the Catholic church's writing of the Constitution affected the country and then gradually lost its power over time. It gave a really broad sweep of history, which I needed, and didn't shy away from personal impact of high-level decisions.
What I didn't like: I don't understand why Section 1 came before Section 2. It undermined the chronology as well as made a pretty big claim about the church being synonymous with political sentiment that was only clarified later. It also had so many proper nouns that came and went so quickly that it was hard to read. Section 2 could have stood alone with elements of Section 1 worked in along the way.
Overall, I came away with better background knowledge and a few topics I'd like to know more about, which was the goal.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice historical intro on the massive cultural changes Ireland has undergone in the last few centuries. The Irish Catholic church and her scandals are covered throughout. The book does an excellent job of highlighting the different types of dysfunction that arise in puritanical societies. The organization and pacing is a little uneven, but it's a good short read about the country's recent secularization.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really fascinating. Revealed aspects of the story of Ireland I had not understood, in particular the extreme nature of the repression in mid-20th century, as well as the depths of depravity in the Catholic Church in the same time period.

But, what an inspiring and hopeful turn around in recent years!

And, I now have to learn much more about Mary Robinson.

Having said this, the book seemed in need of stronger editing.

[Andrew Steimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could. It's an interesting history of Ireland, largely focused on the Catholic church. I'm sure I'll re-read this book in the future, but the answer this book provides to the question "how did Ireland become liberal?" could have been an article. The Catholic Priest sexual abuse scandal completely destroyed Ireland's trust in the church.

[Ricky Balas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disjointed at times, but an interesting (and at times heart wrenching) story of the rise of modern Ireland.

[Christe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels hastily written, some filler, some parts skimmable, chronology sometimes difficult to follow -- but it is an interesting history of the repressiveness of the Catholic Church in Ireland, and particularly the abuse of children, and the way in which the country awakened to the problem and did an about-face.

[Roger Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a revelation

I thought i knew something about Ireland. The history of abuse and repression by the Church with the full support of the government was truly shocking. It als explains some of the behaviour of Irish nuns and clergy overseas unfortunately. Fortunately things have improved dramaticaly on more recent times.

[Patrick Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned new things

The history of Ireland should be part of my history. My father was born there. While no one book can cover it all, this one hits the main points on how and why modern Ireland is as liberal as it is. Well worth the read.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read

A detailed account of how Ireland went from being one of the most Christian of countries to the exact opposite. As someone who has left Ireland because of its old fashioned views.
It's refreshing to read at just how far the country has come.

[Bridget Lambdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

a new Ireland

A very interesting and riveting read that covers from the dark days of the church controlled Ireland to the liberal and caring country it is today

[Naomi Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and thorough, but I personally would have preferred more attention to the past 40 years and less from before.

[Clare Suss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting