Migration and the Making of Ireland

Ireland has been shaped by centuries of emigration as millions escaped poverty, famine, religious persecution, and war. But what happens when we reconsider this well-worn history by exploring the ways Ireland has also been shaped by immigration?

From slave markets in Viking Dublin to social media use by modern asylum seekers, Migration and the Making of Ireland identifies the political, religious, and cultural factors that have influenced immigration to Ireland over the span of four centuries. A senior scholar of migration and social policy, Bryan Fanning offers a rich understanding of the lived experiences of immigrants. Using firsthand accounts of those who navigate citizenship entitlements, gender rights, and religious and cultural differences in Ireland, Fanning reveals a key yet understudied aspect of Irish history.

Engaging and eloquent, Migration and the Making of Ireland provides long overdue consideration to those who made new lives in Ireland even as they made Ireland new.

It is a wonderfully easy, 'live and let live', non-judgmental and generous view of what a country should be, and a suitable riposte to the toxic xenophobes who are on the rise in Europe today. Fanning charts just how rich this experience can be.