Download or read book Understanding Contemporary Ireland written by Richard Breen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirty years ago the Irish State embarked on a programme of development which rapidly transformed the economy and with it Irish society. This book is about that transformation and its effects. In particular, it focuses on the relationship between the policies pursued by the State and the class structure of Ireland. It argues that, despite promises of general prosperity, the benefits of Ireland's economic development have been very unevenly distributed, leading to a growing polarisation between social classes.