Global citizen and European Republic : Irish foreign policy in transition / Ben Tonra.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tonra, Ben, author.

Series:

Reappraising the Political S.

EBL-Schweitzer

Reappraising the Political

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political culture--Ireland.

Political culture.

National characteristics, Irish--Political aspects.

National characteristics, Irish.

Ireland--Foreign relations.

Ireland.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 229 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

Online-ausg.

Place of Publication:

Manchester : New York : Manchester University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book offers a new way of looking at Irish foreign policy, linking its development with changes in Irish national identity. Many debates within contemporary international relations focus on the relative benefits of taking a traditional interest-based approach to the study of foreign policy as opposed to the more recently developed identity-based approach. This book takes the latter and, instead of looking at Irish foreign policy through the lens of individual, geo-strategic or political interests, is linked to deeper identity changes. As one Minister of Foreign Affairs put it; 'Irish foreign policy is about much more than self-interest. The elaboration of our foreign policy is also a matter of self-definition-simply put, it is for many of us a statement of the kind of people that we are'. Using this approach, four grand narratives are identified which, it is argued, have served to shape the course of Irish foreign policy and which have, in turn, been impacted by the course of Ireland's international experience. The roots and significance of each of these narratives; Ireland as a European Republic, as a Global Citizen, as an Anglo-American State and as an Irish Nation are then outlined and their significance assessed. The shape of Irish foreign-policy-making structures is then drawn out and the usefulness of this book's approach to Irish foreign policy is then considered in three brief case studies: Ireland's European experience, its neutrality and Irish policy towards the 2003 Iraq War.

Contents:

Contents; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction; 2 The narrative of the Irish Nation; 3 The narrative of the Global Citizen; 4 The narrative of the European Republic; 5 The narrative of the Anglo-American State; 6 Policy actors and structures: the executive drama; 7 Policy actors and structures: the democratic coda; 8 European ambitions and obligations; 9 Security, defence and neutrality; 10 Case study: the war in Iraq 2003; 11 Conclusions on an Irish role in the world; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 24 Apr 2026).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-78170-161-X

1-84779-235-9

OCLC:

818847141