De Valera's Legacy and the Birth of the Celtic Tiger: Ireland 1945-1989
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: College of Social Sciences
Abstract
There are a number of useful general surveys of Ireland after 1945, but the period has yet to receive sustained historical attention. Recent monographs provide new interpretations and establish a context for debate on a wide range of issues. Consequently it is now possible to write an historical study drawing on the rich range of newly available archival sources, private papers and memoirs. However, there are still considerable gaps in the literature and this study will provide a comprehensive re-assessment of the period by engaging critically with key themes.
The main aim of this study is to provide an historically nuanced explanation of why a relatively prosperous democratic state performed so poorly after 1945, when many of its social and political characteristics appeared positive. The main argument is that Eamon de Valera and the Fianna Fáil party were so successful that their achievement constrained change and influenced politicians and policy makers for over 50 years. De Valera constructed a popular consensus on issues such as the Constitution, the nature of Irish foreign policy, Northern Ireland and on a wide range of social, economic and cultural policies and these remained at the heart of the political culture for decades. The work will re-assess the nature of the consensus, examine its continuing influence and analyse the extent to which it facilitated or constrained change in Irish society from the 1960s.
The study will demonstrate the continuing importance of de Valera's consensus into post-war Ireland and show how Catholicism, nationalism and sovereignty remained priorities for the political elite when formulating and executing policy. This commitment emphasised continuity and neglected alternatives. To demonstrate the persistence of de Valera's legacy after 1961 I will focus on a number of key issues that were the focus of debate and controversy.
This study will provide the first systematic study of moral politics and contraception using departmental and political party archives. This issue directly challenged traditional Ireland and the policy response reflected the continuing importance of Catholic and traditional views on the matter.
Constitutional change is another major issue; though not controversial up to 1966 it increasingly divided opinion during the following decades. Although some reform is evident on these issues, when reform confronted traditional attitudes on Northern Ireland, divorce, property owning and abortion the outcome was overwhelmingly a conservative one before the 1990s.
The continuing dominance of the traditional political parties also reflected de Valera's continuing influence. Fianna Fáil adapted to the changing environment by occupying the conservative space in Irish politics by the 1980s, due in large part to its active defence of de Valera's legacy.
EEC membership is assumed in the existing literature to be a decisive break with the past, but this will be questioned. Membership was managed in such a way as to maintain the power and influence of those social groups that had been at the centre of de Valera's original consensus.
It is also possible to detect de Valera's influence in specific policy areas such as taxation reform, equal pay and gender policy among others. The overall objective is to demonstrate that while this legacy was strong and sometimes obstructive, change also occurred. However, certain policy options were excluded because of this influence and others were adopted when they might not have been the most appropriate. By analysing continuity and change over a forty year period, it will be possible to demonstrate empirically how this legacy became less potent by the 1980s. This facilitated the new strategies and policy changes that led to the 'Celtic tiger' in the 1990s.
The main benefit of the book will be a comprehensive re-assessment of what changed and what did not in post war Ireland.
The main aim of this study is to provide an historically nuanced explanation of why a relatively prosperous democratic state performed so poorly after 1945, when many of its social and political characteristics appeared positive. The main argument is that Eamon de Valera and the Fianna Fáil party were so successful that their achievement constrained change and influenced politicians and policy makers for over 50 years. De Valera constructed a popular consensus on issues such as the Constitution, the nature of Irish foreign policy, Northern Ireland and on a wide range of social, economic and cultural policies and these remained at the heart of the political culture for decades. The work will re-assess the nature of the consensus, examine its continuing influence and analyse the extent to which it facilitated or constrained change in Irish society from the 1960s.
The study will demonstrate the continuing importance of de Valera's consensus into post-war Ireland and show how Catholicism, nationalism and sovereignty remained priorities for the political elite when formulating and executing policy. This commitment emphasised continuity and neglected alternatives. To demonstrate the persistence of de Valera's legacy after 1961 I will focus on a number of key issues that were the focus of debate and controversy.
This study will provide the first systematic study of moral politics and contraception using departmental and political party archives. This issue directly challenged traditional Ireland and the policy response reflected the continuing importance of Catholic and traditional views on the matter.
Constitutional change is another major issue; though not controversial up to 1966 it increasingly divided opinion during the following decades. Although some reform is evident on these issues, when reform confronted traditional attitudes on Northern Ireland, divorce, property owning and abortion the outcome was overwhelmingly a conservative one before the 1990s.
The continuing dominance of the traditional political parties also reflected de Valera's continuing influence. Fianna Fáil adapted to the changing environment by occupying the conservative space in Irish politics by the 1980s, due in large part to its active defence of de Valera's legacy.
EEC membership is assumed in the existing literature to be a decisive break with the past, but this will be questioned. Membership was managed in such a way as to maintain the power and influence of those social groups that had been at the centre of de Valera's original consensus.
It is also possible to detect de Valera's influence in specific policy areas such as taxation reform, equal pay and gender policy among others. The overall objective is to demonstrate that while this legacy was strong and sometimes obstructive, change also occurred. However, certain policy options were excluded because of this influence and others were adopted when they might not have been the most appropriate. By analysing continuity and change over a forty year period, it will be possible to demonstrate empirically how this legacy became less potent by the 1980s. This facilitated the new strategies and policy changes that led to the 'Celtic tiger' in the 1990s.
The main benefit of the book will be a comprehensive re-assessment of what changed and what did not in post war Ireland.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Brian Girvin (Principal Investigator) |