Ireland has, within a short space of time, become one of the wealthiest countries in the world with a consistently high growth rate and, for the first time in over a century, an increasing population. It is an astonishing story of hardship and failure to huge success. But what is happening to community life in Ireland and how is unprecedented affluence affecting those who have it and those whom the Celtic Tiger has left untouched? And what of the aspiration contained in the Proclamation of 1916 about cherishing all the children equally? And, with falling attendances at churches and disinterest among the young, what place will religion have in the Ireland of the next few decades? And the thousands of immigrants settling in Ireland-how are they being integrated into Irish society? And what of Irelands strong cultural identity as a nation-can the Irish language survive much longer? Will the GAA continue to play the crucial role in Irish life it has played in the past, even if its players turn professional? And in Northern Ireland can Orange and Green be reconciled and sectarianism and division ended?
Bringing together 37 leading public figures in Ireland, North and South, The Soul of Ireland addresses these and other issues. The book looks at what is happening to society in Ireland in the first decade of the new millennium as well as at the threats to its culture and identity.
The subject matter of the book covers: Losing the Sense of Community Immigration, Integration and Cultural Identity Coping with Affluence Cherishing All the Children Equally The Relevance of 1916 The Soul of Ireland in Traditional Music The Death Throes of the Irish Language Secularisation and the Loss of Religious Identity Gaelic Games and Cultural Identity The Irish Imagination and Reconciling Orange and Green
The contributors include:
Editor | Joe Mulholland |
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Print Format | Paperback |
ISBN-10 | 1-905785-12-7 |
ISBN-13 | 978-1905785124 |
Date of Publication | November 2006 |
Number of Pages | 252 |