Social movements and Ireland is an innovative new text which aims to provide a comprehensive introduction and critical analysis of collective action in Irish society. Participation in social protest in Ireland has become a widely utilized form of political expression and has played a profoundly important role in generating the wide-ranging cultural, political, social and economic changes which have shaped Irish society in the twentieth and twenty-first century.

The book combines a broad overview of social movement activity in Ireland with an integrated introduction to the major theoretical forms of social movement analysis, and is ideally suited to the needs of students from a wide range of disciplines. By adopting an integrated approach, this landmark text provides new perspectives on international social movements theory, based on the Irish experience. At the same time, a distinct account of the development of Irish society and ongoing social change is provided through the focus on substantive questions - gender, civil rights, rural development, consumerism, environmentalism, language, sectarianism, sexuality, war, globalization, racism, ethnicity and immigration.