Understanding Contemporary Ireland

This is an account of Ireland in the twenty first century and the remarkable economic and social transformations that have occurred since the late 1980s.

The ‘Celtic Tiger’ phenomenon made Ireland the focus of much attention in recent years. Other countries have openly declared that they want to follow the Irish economic and social model. Yet there is no book that gives a comprehensive, spatially informed analysis of the Irish experience.

This book fills that gap. Divided into four parts - planning and development, the economy, the political landscape, and population and social issues - the book explains a particular aspect of Ireland and Irish life. The authors reveal how the transformations that have occurred are uneven and unequal in their effects across the country and highlight the challenges now facing Irish society and policy-makers.