Introduction

The Ireland of the tourist brochure is an idyllic landscape populated by friendly people with a thousand welcomes. The Ireland of the media is all too often one of divided communities, political intransigence, terrorism and crime. The very fact that European Community affairs in Northern Ireland have to be channelled through London is also a handicap and may have disadvantaged some economic sectors in the Province. Ireland, both north and south, is a land in a state of rapid change, against a backdrop of long-term conservatism and tradition. The Republic of Ireland, in particular, has achieved a new assertiveness within Europe, matched, to some extent, by an evolving identity and a new sense of place, all qualities worthy of study by geographers. Rural Ireland presents the greatest paradox. It is promoted as a major attraction for all the qualities – relaxing, old-fashioned, quiet – that make it hard to live in, especially for the young.