Understanding Contemporary Ireland

by Bartley, Brendan; Kitchin, Rob

• ISBN13: 9780745325941
• ISBN10: 0745325947
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-20
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

This book provides a detailed, student-friendly overview 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 has 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 chapters provide an explanation of a particular aspect of Ireland and Irish life accompanied by illustrative material. In particular, 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.Written by experts in the field, it is a key text for those wishing to understand the contemporary Irish economic and social landscape.

Author Biography

Brendan Bartley is the project leader for International Centre for Local and Regional Development at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Rob Kitchin is Director of the National Institute for Regional and Spatial analysis at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Table of Contents

Ireland in the Twenty-first Century	p. 1
Planning and Development
Introduction	p. 27
Planning in Ireland	p. 31
Regional Development	p. 44
Urban Systems	p. 57
Urban Property Development	p. 71
Rural Development	p. 88
Transport	p. 100
Strategic Spatial Planning in Northern Ireland	p. 112
Economy
Introduction	p. 125
The Manufacturing Sector	p. 128
The Services Sector	p. 146
Agriculture in Transition	p. 158
Tourism and Heritage	p. 170
Political Landscape
Introduction	p. 181
Elections and Voting	p. 181
Transformations in Governance	p. 197
Green Ireland? The Governance of Waste	p. 208
The Meaning of Northern Ireland	p. 221
Population and Social Issues
Introduction	p. 233
Immigration: Labour Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees	p. 236
Transformations in Housing	p. 249
Deprivation and its Spatial Articulation	p. 264
Health and Disease	p. 279
'For the Way We Live Today': Consumption, Lifestyle and Place	p. 289
Conclusion
Ireland Now and in the Future	p. 301
Notes	p. 309
References	p. 313
About the contributors	p. 335
Index	p. 337
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