A New Ireland: How Europe's Most Conservative Country Became Its Most Liberal
by Niall O'Dowd
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Description
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, show more 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. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
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.
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Author Information
5 Works 120 Members
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Monseigneur Edward Joseph Flanigan; Bishop Eamonn Casey; Father Michael Cleary; Monsignor John Magee; Declan Quinn; David Norris (Senator) (show all 13); Elizabeth O'Farrell; Constance Markievicz (Countess); Eva Gore-Booth; Mary Robinson (President of Ireland); Jayne Mansfield; Edna O'Brien; St. Patrick
- Important places
- Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland; Taumgraney, County Clare, Ireland
- Important events
- 1979 visit by Pope John Paul II to Ireland; 1939 Eucharistic Congress; Easter Rising; Kerry Babies Case; X Case
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Sociology, Politics and Government, Religion & Spirituality, Sexuality and Gender Studies
- DDC/MDS
- 941.7083 — History & geography History of Europe British Isles Connaught
- LCC
- DA966.2 .O36 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Great Britain History of Great Britain Ireland Modern, 1603- 21st century
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 23
- Popularity
- 1,144,981
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
