After a century of wars, civil wars, internal division, political upheaval, mass emigration, high unemployment, and the growing separation of Church and State a more prosperous, diverse, and tolerant Irish society has emerged. It is a twenty-first-century hybrid, where the secular, liberal outlook is now, for the first time, the most common view. Ivana Bacik examines the shape and nature of the new Ireland, discussing such contentious topics as the make-up of the modern family, organized religion, modern sexuality, reproductive rights, equality, racism, censorship, the environment, and the central role of the legal system in formulating a framework for changing social mores. The book shows how Irish society has evolved to its current incarnation, and where it might go from here. Bacik presents an acerbic look at the Irish legal system and an examination of campaigns to change the law and liberalize Irish society.
Kicking and Screaming : Dragging Ireland into the 21st Century