The Irish Paradox : How and Why We Are Such a Contradictory People

In his search for the answer to this question, `What makes Irish people think the way they do?' and the key to the Irish psyche, Sean Moncrieff roams from the pub to the online world, the shop to the pulpit. Packed with observations, revelations and intriguing detours into the murkier recesses of Irish history and culture, The Irish Paradox is a roadmap of the contradictory, mutating nature of Irishness. What does it mean to be Irish? In his search for the answer to this question and, with it, the key to the Irish psyche, Sean Moncrieff roams far and wide - from the pub to the dole queue, the laboratory to the pulpit. Whether calling upon cutting-edge genetic research to question our parochialism or the twin disciplines of group psychology and sociology to account for our deep-rooted suspicion of outsiders, The Irish Paradox is an invigorating demystification of the flattering myths, prejudices and logical blindspots that bind us together. Packed with offbeat personal anecdotes and intriguing detours into the murkier recesses of Irish history, science and politics, The Irish Paradox offers a roadmap to those struggling to make sense of a country defined as much by its contradictions as its sense of community. Broken into five chapters, each corresponding to a separate aspect of the nation's personality, this an utterly unique and provocative take on a country in bad faith, at once in denial about its past and uncertain of its future.-- Source other than Library of Congress

What does it mean to be Irish?

‘We’ve been clever and stupid, principled and corrupt. We can be kind and cruel, guilty of dopey optimism and chronic fatalism. We’re friendly, but near impossible to get to know. We’re proud to be Irish but often crippled with self-loathing. We think we’re great, but not really. We find ourselves fascinating. Of course we do. We’re a paradox.’

There’s something about Irish people, about the way their minds work. But what does it mean to be Irish?

In his search for the key to the Irish psyche, Sean Moncrieff roams far and wide – from the pub to the dole queue, the laboratory to the pulpit. Packed with offbeat anecdotes, observations and intriguing detours into the murkier recesses of Irish history and culture, The Irish Paradox is a roadmap for those struggling to make sense of a country defined as much by its contradictions as its sense of community.

We ve been clever and stupid, principled and corrupt. We can be kind and cruel, guilty of dopey optimism and chronic fatalism. We re friendly, but near impossible to get to know. We re proud to be Irish but often crippled with self-loathing. We think we re great, but not really. We find ourselves fascinating. Of course we do. We re a paradox. There s something about Irish people, about the way their minds work. But what makes them think the way they do? In his search for the answer to this question and the key to the Irish psyche, Sean Moncrieff roams from the pub to the online world, the shop to the pulpit. Packed with observations, revelations and intriguing detours into the murkier recesses of Irish history and culture, The Irish Paradox is a roadmap of the contradictory, mutating nature of Irishness.