This book is one of the most prominent Irish history books. Douglas Hyde, the author, was the first President of Ireland and took great care in relating the history of his own country. It spans a huge period, starting from druidism and the first settlements in Ireland. This book had a huge amount of information, yet it is free from personal or political ideas and opinions. Everyone who loves ancient Irish history and Druidry will find this book interesting.

From the contents: N.M. Petersen and the case of Denmark (Annelies van Hees). - Henrik Schueck as historiographer of Swedish literature (Egil Tornqvist). - Germanistik and nation in the 19th century (Klaus F. Gille). - Literary historiography in the Northern and Southern Netherlands between 1800 and 1830 (George Vis). - Jan Frans Willems: a literary history for a new nation (D. van der Horst). - A la recherche d'une litterature perdue: literary history, Irish identity and Douglas Hyde (Joep Leerssen).

A New History of Ireland is the largest scholarly project in modern Irish history. In 9 volumes, it provides a comprehensive new synthesis of modern scholarship on every aspect of Irish history and prehistory, from the earliest geological and archaeological evidence, through the Middle Ages, down to the present day. The third volume opens with a character study of early modern Ireland and a panoramic survey of Ireland in 1534, followed by twelve chapters of narrative history. There are further chapters on the economy, the coinage, languages and literature, and the Irish abroad. Two surveys, `Land and People', c.1600 and c.1685, are included.

While the Irish Literary Revival began around 1885 and ended somewhere between 1925 and 1940, the Irish Renaissance has continued to the present day and shows no sign of abating. The period has produced some of the most important and influential figures in Irish literature, some of whom are counted among the world's greatest authors. The Revival saw a reestablishment of Ireland's literary connections with its Celtic heritage, and writers such as William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory drew heavily on the myths and legends of the past. James Joyce boldly reshaped the novel and wrote short fiction of enduring value. Contemporary Irish writers continue to be leading figures and include such authors as Brian Frigl, Seamus Heaney, and Eavan Boland. Included in this reference book are alphabetically arranged entries for more than 70 modern Irish writers, including Samuel Beckett, William Trevor, Patrick Kavanagh, Medbh McGuckian, Sean O'Casey, J. M. Synge, and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. Entries are written by expert contributors and reflect a broad range of perspectives. Each entry contains a brief biography that summarizes the author's career, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the author's critical reception, and a bibliography of primary and secondary works. An introductory essay reviews the large and growing body of scholarship on modern Irish literature, while an extensive bibliography concludes the volume.