This is an account of Ireland in the twenty first century and the remarkable economic and social transformations that have occurred since the late 1980s.
The ‘Celtic Tiger’ phenomenon made Ireland the focus of much attention in recent years. Other countries have openly declared that they want to follow the Irish economic and social model. Yet there is no book that gives a comprehensive, spatially informed analysis of the Irish experience.
This book fills that gap. Divided into four parts – planning and development, the economy, the political landscape, and population and social issues – the book explains a particular aspect of Ireland and Irish life. The authors reveal how the transformations that have occurred are uneven and unequal in their effects across the country and highlight the challenges now facing Irish society and policy-makers.
Table of Content
About the Contributors
Acknowledgements
1. Ireland in the Twenty First Century by Rob Kitchin and Brendan Bartley
Part One: Planning and Development
Section introduction
2. Planning in Ireland by Brendan Bartley
3. Regional development: trends, policies and strategies by James A. Walsh
4. Recent development of the Irish urban systems by Des Mc Cafferty
5. Urban property development by Andrew Mac Laran and Sinead Kelly
6. Rural development – retrospect and prospect by John Mc Donagh
7. Transport by James Killen
8. Strategic spatial planning in Northern Ireland by Michael Murray and Brendan Murtagh
Part Two: Economy
Section introduction
9.The manufacturing sector by Chris Van Egeraat and Proinnsias Breathnach
10. The services sector by Proinnsias Breathnach
11. Agriculture in transition by James A. Walsh
12. Tourism and heritage by Catherine Kelly
Part Three: Political landscape
Section introduction
13. Political landscape of the Republic of Ireland by Adrian Kavanagh
14. Transformations in governance by Joe Larragy and Brendan Bartley
15. Green Ireland? The governance of waste by Honor Fagan and Michael Murray
16. The meaning of Northern Ireland by Brian Graham
Part Four: Population and social issues
Section introduction
17. Immigration: Labour migrants and asylum seekers and refugees by Piaras MacÉinrí
18. Transformations in housing by Mary Corcoran, Patrick Duffy and Karen Keaveney
19. Deprivation and its spatial articulation by Trutz Haase
20. Health and disease by Frank Houghton and Dennis Pringle
21. ‘For the way we live today’: consumption, lifestyle and place in Ireland by Denis Linehan
Conclusion
22. Ireland now and in the future by Rob Kitchin and Brendan Bartley
Notes
References
Index
About the author
Rob Kitchin is Director of the National Institute for Regional and Spatial analysis at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. He is the co-editor of Understanding Contemporary Ireland (Pluto, 2006).