Focusing on Irish speakers in Catholic West Belfast, this ethnography on Irish language and identity explores the complexities of changing, and contradictory, senses of Irishness and shifting practices of 'Irish culture' in the domains of language, music, dance and sports. The author’s theoretical approach to ethnicity and ethnic revivals presents an expanded explanatory framework for the social (re)production of ethnicity, theorizing the mutual interrelations between representations and cultural practices regarding their combined capacity to engender ethnic revivals. Relevant not only to readers with an interest in the intricacies of the Northern Irish situation, this book also appeals to a broader readership in anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, history and political science concerned with the mechanisms behind ethnonational conflict and the politics of culture and identity in general.

Table of Contents:
Dedication Epigraph List of Tables, Figures, Maps Acknowledgements Glossary PROLOGUE Chapter 1. A Walk of Life: Entering Catholic West Belfast Chapter 2. Framing the Research: Analytical Approach and Methodology The Analytical Framework for the Study of Ethnic Identity (and the Irish Language) On Methodology PART I: THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN CATHOLIC WEST BELFAST Chapter 3. Fáilte isteach – Welcome In Chapter 4. Becoming a Gaeilgeoir Roibeárd, age 63 Rónán, age 61 Mairéad, age 58 Micheál, age 55 Dónal, age 49 Fíona, age 47 Pól, age 47 Pádraigín, age 40 Sinéad, age 33 Caoimhín, age 17 Preliminary observations Chapter 5. On Prophets, Godfathers, Rebels and Prostitutes:a Contemporary History of the Irish language in Catholic West Belfast Emerging structural contexts for the Irish language in the 1950s: a prehistory Prophets on the moral ‘High Meadow’: the Cumann Ċluain Árd From a hedge(d) school to Irish language industries: godfathers of the Irish language Rebels with/out a political cause: the Jailtacht and beyond Prostitutes of the Irish language? Conclusions Chapter 6. ‘Our own native language’: Local Representations and Practices of the Irish language Between purism and pragmatism: the micro-dynamics of Irish language usage The political hijacking of the Irish language revival: the meso-dynamics of supply and demand ‘Our own native language?’ The macro-dynamics of rights activism, ethnicism and nationalism Conclusions PART II: IRISH IDENTITY IN CATHOLIC WEST BELFAST Chapter 7. ‘It’s part of what we are’ – Identifying Identity Chapter 8. Becoming (Aware of) Who You Are: Irish Roibeárd, age 63 Rónán, age 61 Mairéad, age 58 Micheál, age 55 Dónal, age 49 Fíona, age 47 Pól, age 47 Pádraigín, age 40 Sinéad, age 33 Caoimhín, age 17 Preliminary observations Chapter 9. Casting Nets of Identity: a Contemporary History of Irishness in Catholic West Belfast ‘A constant counter-narrative to the dominant narrative of the society’: emerging structural contexts for/eclosing Irishness in Northern Ireland No games, just sports? Gaelic games and the playground of Catholic West Belfast ‘If you feel like singing, do sing an Irish song’: Irish music in Catholic West Belfast Knowing how to do your sevens: dancing to the tune of Irishness in Catholic West Belfast Conclusions Chapter 10. ‘Something inside so strong’: Local Representations and Practices of Irishness What it takes to be Irish The Irishness of Protestants and the politics of a classificatory anomaly Autochthony as the causal logic behind ethnicity Conclusions EPILOGUE Chapter 11. ‘Trying to make sense of it all’: Identity Matters in Catholic West Belfast POST SCRIPTUM Bibliography Index