Celtic Revival?
The Rise, Fall, and Renewal of Global Ireland
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- €59.99
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- €59.99
Publisher Description
Celtic Revival? explores what happens when a society loses its wealth, its faith in government, and its trust in its Church. The glorious rise of the Celtic Tiger in Ireland was thought by many to be a model for future economic growth for countries around the world; its dramatic crash in 2008 resonated equally widely. Yet despite the magnitude of the ongoing collapse, Sean Kay shows that seen in historical perspective, the crisis is part of a much larger pattern of generations of progress and change.
Kay draws on a rich blend of research, interviews with a broad spectrum of Irish society, and his own decades of personal experience to tell the story of Ireland today. He guides the reader through the country's major economic challenges, political transformation, social change, the crisis in the Irish Catholic Church, and the rise of gay rights and multiculturalism. He takes us through the streets of Derry and Belfast to understand the Northern Ireland peace process and the daunting task of peace building that has only just begun. Finally, we see how Irish foreign policy has long been a model for balancing competing interests and values. Kay concludes by highlighting Ireland's lessons for the world and mapping a vital path for twenty-first-century challenges and opportunities for the coming generations in Ireland and beyond.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kay (NATO and the Future of European Security) deftly synthesizes economics, history, sociology, and his own extensive interviews with artists (Sinead O'Connor), former heads of state, and the average person on the street (or in the pub) in order to understand the causes and effects of Ireland's recent religious, political, and economic meltdown. He addresses issues such as Ireland losing revenue from artists like U2 operating their businesses abroad in order to escape paying taxes in Ireland. According to Kay, Ireland needs every penny of that money if it is to get back on the road to recovery. He debunks the idea that Ireland's woes were caused by problems in the U.S. economy, arguing that Ireland's problems are the result of bad policy, weak regulation, and unethical behavior by bankers and politicians. The evidence presented in this in-depth and fascinating book is deeply disturbing. Still, Kay maintains, the Irish will bounce back as long as they remember the lessons they've learned since the Celtic Tiger died its long, painful death.
