Ireland
The Celtic Tiger: Reality or Myth
June 29–July 6, 2008
Itinerary
This 8-day seminar begins and ends in Dublin.
Seminar Fee
CIEE Member: $2,750 Non-Member: $2,950
Academic Content (please note this is tentative and subject to change)
Lectures
- The Devil is in the Detail: The Underbelly of the Celtic Tiger
- Ireland: A Place in the New World Order
- Religion and Society: The Fall of Irish Catholicism
- The Republic of Ireland: Myth or Reality?
- Sport and Nation: The Role of Gaelic Games in Irish National Consciousness
- The Smart New Kids On the Block: The "New Irish" And the Future
- Northern Ireland: Divided People, Shared History
Co-curricular Site Visits & Field Trips
- Guided Tour of Belfast, including visits to West Belfast, the Peacelines, and a Tour of Murals
- Guided Tour of Georgian Dublin, including Trinity College
- Kilmainham Gaol
- Glendalough, the 6th century site of St. Kevin’s Monastery, and the Wicklow Mountains
Rationale
The phenomenon referred to as The Celtic Tiger, or Ireland’s Economic Miracle, transformed the Republic of Ireland from one of the poorest countries in Western Europe to one of the wealthiest. From the mid-1990s, the Irish economy grew an average of 6% annually, dramatically raising the Irish standard of living to equal and eventually exceed that of neighboring countries in much of Western Europe. This seminar examines Irish society as it has evolved in relation to this phenomenon. Participants analyze the country’s historic and cultural traditions, and explore the political, economic, and social problems associated with rapid socio-cultural and economic change. Prominent academic, political, and community leaders conduct the lecture sessions and co-curricular site visits complement the program.
Host Institutions
The seminar is hosted by the CIEE Study Center in Dublin in cooperation with Dublin City University (DCU). DCU was established in the early 1980s to meet the needs of Ireland’s rapidly growing economy. DCU, with a student population of approximately 10,000, set out to provide students with highly relevant and often multi-disciplinary programs in order to create an environment that would stimulate entrepreneurial awareness and activity. Strong links with local and international businesses continue to maintain this environment. DCU has continued to expand and now enjoys a reputation as Ireland’s most progressive university.
Seminar Leadership
The faculty leader in Dublin is Don Niall, Resident Director of the CIEE Study Center in Dublin. A native of Dublin, he is currently completing doctoral research in the Department of Geography at the University of Dublin, Trinity College, and holds a Masters of Philosophy in Ethnic and Racial Studies. He has extensive teaching experience in anthropology, sociology, politics, and international tourism. His academic interests include the construction of Irish identity, multiculturalism, and the geography of ethnic citizenship in Ireland.
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