Being Irish : 101 Views on Irish Identity Today

What makes the Irish unique? Why do over 70 million people worldwide embrace their Irish heritage? What does it mean to be Irish today? These and other questions are addressed in this fascinating new book.

Being Irish gathers a diverse group of 100 people of all ages – including well-known musicians, writers, sportspeople, journalists, political and religious leaders, community activists, asylum seekers, students and others – each trying to give expression to that special something that is more or less recognizable as Irish. This is not a sociological study; it consists of highly personal responses to a question of identity.

Twenty-one years ago, Paddy Logue compiled the original edition of Being Irish to better understand the recent changes Ireland had undergone. Now his daughter, Derry-based solicitor Marie-Claire Logue, takes up the challenge to take a fresh look at Irishness, this time against a backdrop of Covid-19, Brexit, economic insecurity, a less powerful Catholic Church, and a changing Northern Ireland.

There is a particular emphasis in this collection on a new generation of Irish, both home-grown and recent arrivals. These 20-40-year-olds embrace their Irish identity as fervently as their elders, but don’t necessarily have the same values, concerns and aspirations. Here the voices of this new generation can finally be heard. 

Above all, the captivating life stories contained in Being Irish will provide an illuminating and entertaining look at what it means to be Irish today.

Marie-Claire Logue is a solicitor in Derry, Northern Ireland.