Irish Catholic Identities

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What does it mean to be Irish Are the predicates Catholic and Irish so inextricably linked that it is impossible to have one and not the other Does the process of secularisation in modern times mean that Catholicism is no longer a touchstone of what it means to be Irish Indeed was such a paradigm ever true These are among the fundamental issues addressed in this work, which examines whether distinct identity formation can be traced over time. The book delineates the course of historical developments which complicated the process of identity formation in the Irish context, when by turns Irish Catholics saw themselves as battling against English hegemony or the Protestant Reformation. Without doubt the Reformation era cast a long shadow over how Irish Catholics would see themselves. But the process of identity formation was of much longer duration. The twenty-two chapters of this work trace the elements which have shaped how the Catholic Irish identified themselves, and explore the political, religious and cultural dimensions of the complex picture which is Irish Catholic identity. The individual essays together represent a systematic attempt, unique in the literature, to explore the fluidity of the components that make up Catholic identity in the Irish context. -- .

Reviews

"Irish Catholic Identities represents a great sweep of Irish history covering periods when Catholics at times despaired of a future to the present day when anxieties about the future occupy many peoples' thoughts. The highs and lows of Catholic attitutes to the state, their perceptions of themselves and the perceptions of others are discussed in a wide-ranging, varied and original way that should prove of great interest and value to scholars and general readers."
(Ambrose Macaulay, The Furrow, September 2014)

It is a volume to which someone such as myself, with a genuine fascination for the subject matter, is immediately attracted, but there is plenty between its covers for anyone even remotely interested in the interplay between religion and identity.

Theeditor of this book must be commended for focusing our attention on amuch-neglected field. The collection reflects something of the state of the artin the study of Irish identity formation and has much of interest for studentsof Irish history. It is certainly a subject that requires furtherconsideration.
HenryA. Jefferies, Ulster University, Irish Economic and Social History 44 (1)

Author Bio

Oliver P. Rafferty teaches church history at Heythrop College, University of London