This is the first comprehensive survey of the Irish state, and draws on a range of theoretical approaches to analyse its origins, its evolution, its nature and its role in Ireland's recent economic success.
The book begins by outlining the fragmentary way in which the Irish state has been treated to date in the social sciences. Subsequent chapters by distinguished contributors then go on to examine the history of the Irish state from 1922 to 1973, the developmental nature of the Irish state since the 1980s, the Irish state as a partnership state, the gendered nature of the state, the changing nature of the state's autonomy and capacity since independence, whether the Irish state can be described as a competition state, and the activities and policies of the Irish state as a welfare state. The editors examine the lessons learnt from these analyses before detailing a challenging agenda for further research.
The book will be of major interest to students of Irish politics and of Ireland's recent economic and social development. Given Ireland's status as a model of success in this globalised era, the book will interest scholars of globalisation and comparative politics, and makes a significant contribution to analyses of the role of the state in this context.

Maura Adshead is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Public Administration at the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick. Peadar Kirby is Professor of International Politics and Public Policy at the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick. Michelle Millar is College Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway

Contents
Figures and tables
Contributors
Acknowledgements
1. Ireland as a model of success: contesting the Irish state - Maura Adshead, Peadar Kirby and Michelle Millar
2. From empire to Europe: the Irish state 1922-73 - J. J. Lee
3. State autonomy, state capacity and the patterning of politics in the
Irish state - Maura Adshead
4. The partnership state - Rory O'Donnell
5. Social inclusion and the welfare state: who cares? - Michelle Millar
6. Ireland as a "competition state" - Peadar Kirby and Mary Murphy
7. The Irish patriarchal state: continuity and change - Pat O'Connor
8. Competing state projects in the contemporary Irish political economy - Seán Ó Riain
9. Conclusions - Maura Adshead, Peadar Kirby and Michelle Millar
Index