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.

Author Biography

Sean Kay has been a frequent visitor to Ireland for the past three decades. A professor of politics and government at Ohio Wesleyan University, he is also a Mershon Associate at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University. He is a fellow in foreign policy at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C., and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. His previous books include NATO and the Future of European Security (R&L) and Global Security in the Twenty-first Century: The Quest for Power and the Search for Peace (R&L). He is a frequent public commentator on Irish and European issues for major news organizations. Kay and his family live in Delaware, Ohio, and when in Ireland, reside in Howth, near Dublin.

Table of Contents

IntroductionChapter 1: Dublin in the Rare Old TimesChapter 2: A Tiger's Broken DreamsChapter 3: Waiting in the Long GrassChapter 4: A Million Small StepsChapter 5: A Post-Catholic IrelandChapter 6: The Jigsaw Puzzle of PeaceChapter 7: Éireann Go GlobalChapter 8: Tales from the Promised Land

Review

[Offers] very valuable insights into Irish culture and some very interesting reflections from interviews with key politicians, academics, and observers. . . . There is an impressive scope to the book, ranging as it does from economic crisis and fiscal policy to sexuality, religion and alcohol, and on to Northern Ireland, international relations and Irish military policy. * Irish Studies Review *
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. * Publishers Weekly *
One of the notable aspects of this most compelling book is the author's conversations with so many of the people in Ireland today who share with him their views on topics as diverse as politics, the plight of the working man, the demise of the Catholic Church, and the on-going struggles in Northern Ireland. . . . [Kay] concludes his book on a positive, optimistic note by pointing out that Ireland must go global in order to regain its foothold on the world stage. It must at the same time develop a 'smart' economy by making full use of its human resources and high-tech innovation. . . . A top shelf read. * Irish American News *
Sean Kay has done Ireland a service. This eloquent and timely narrative should be obligatory reading for those that bankrupted and betrayed my generation. This book is also about hope. The foundations for the renewal of the Irish Republic have now been written. Thank you. -- Elaine Byrne, Trinity College Dublin
'The Great Country Known as Ireland' was brought low by incompetent bankers, greedy property developers, and short-sighted politicians. Sean Kay is quite persuasive that Ireland will be back. But he also illustrates in many ways that the human cost of this financial disaster is beyond measure. Other peoples should and must learn the hard lessons imposed upon Ireland by its political elite. Read this book and avoid the fate of the Irish—before you too follow in their footsteps. -- Simon Johnson, MIT Sloan School of Management, former economic counsellor and director of the research department of the IMF
A book filled, by turns, with illuminating stories and dispassionate analysis, with a sure grasp of Ireland's rapid growth and, now, its economic morass and clouded future. Celtic Revival? is both perceptive and wonderfully readable. -- Charles Lipson, University of Chicago

Long 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.

Review Quote

'The Great Country Known as Ireland' was brought low by incompetent bankers, greedy property developers, and short-sighted politicians. Sean Kay is quite persuasive that Ireland will be back. But he also illustrates in many ways that the human cost of this financial disaster is beyond measure. Other peoples should and must learn the hard lessons imposed upon Ireland by its political elite. Read this book and avoid the fate of the Irish--before you too follow in their footsteps.

Details