Abstract

Irish Literature since 1990 examines the diversity and energy of writing in a period marked by the unparalleled global prominence of Irish culture. The book is distinctive in bringing together scholars from across Europe and the United States, and it offers a rich variety of critical perspectives. This collection provides a wide-ranging survey of fiction, poetry and drama over the last two decades, considering both well-established figures and also emerging writers who
have received relatively little critical attention before. It also considers creative work in cinema, visual culture and the performing arts. Contributors explore the central developments within Irish culture and society that have transformed
the writing and reading of identity, sexuality, history and gender. The book examines the impact of Mary Robinson’s Presidency in the Irish Republic; the new buoyancy of the Irish diaspora, and growing cultural confidence ‘back home’; legislative reform on sexual and moral issues; the uneven effects generated by the resurgence of the Irish economy
(the ‘Celtic Tiger’ myth); Ireland’s increasingly prominent role in Europe; the declining reputation of established
institutions and authorities in the Republic (corruption trials and Church scandals); the Northern Ireland Peace
Process, and the changing relationships it has made possible.