In one generation, modern Ireland has experienced rapid political, economic, and social transformation. Every aspect of Irish life and public policy has changed. Ireland: Historical Echoes, Contemporary Politics charts and explains the facets of that change--including the nation's economic development strategy, the education revolution, Irish langu

Focusing on the period since Irish independence, this documentary history provides a record of the policies the Irish government has followed to encourage economic growth, thereby providing access to the official record for readers in this country. Particular attention has been given to the planning period, which began in 1958. An introductory chapter provides an overview of British economic policy during the period of British control from 1800 to 1922. Included from the seventy year span, 1922-1990, are reports of Banking Commissions, Commissions on Agriculture, Fiscal Policy, Reports of Committees on Taxation, Tourism, Emigration and the use of Capital Investment. The First, Second, and Third Programmes of the 1960s are included. The Marshall Plan and entry into Europe are covered as well as the six major plans offered by the government in the 1970s and 1980s. The volume also includes a bibliography and index.

In one generation, modern Ireland has experienced rapid political, economic, and social transformation. Every aspect of Irish life and public policy has changed. "Ireland: Historical Echoes, Contemporary Politics" charts and explains the facets of that change--including the nation's economic development strategy, the education revolution, Irish language policy, the path of Church-State relations, the impact of the media, the dynamic role of women, and constitutional and political development as well. The book also charts Ireland's place in Europe and the world through the Second Irish Renaissance in music, literature, and the arts.Finnegan and McCarron also discuss the explosion of bitter ethnic conflict in the North. From the 1968 Civil Rights Movement to the 1998 Belfast Agreement, the authors examine the ensuing violence, the changing role of Sin Fein and the IRA, and the role of the United States in the conflict, and in the search for peace.