Preface. Ireland: The Myth of a Colony

The Preface outlines the genesis of the volume that springs from research carried out on the relationship between Ireland and England and pays special attention to the concept of colony. It points out as traditional adjectives such as colonial and post-colonial have been purposely avoided in so far as when referring to Ireland, they reinforce a prejudicial perspective and blur the relevant influence of its cultural heritage and identity. In the decades after independence, Ireland was predominantly defined in terms of separatism and isolation, and in a contrasting, antagonistic relationship with Britain. Recent studies have instead explored the essential connectedness of Irish culture. Instead, the concept of an Irish cultural empire counterbalances this bias and this new Italian publication will advance our understanding of international strands in Irish identity. The Preface claims that the wide-ranging choice of authors and topics sets the essays in a broader context which outlines a chronological thread starting with a chapter dealing with Ireland’s major cultural impact in Europe during the Middle Ages and the influence of classic motifs in Anglo-Irish culture. The chosen authors of the following chapters, dating from the 18th to the 20th century, export their legacy abroad even to the Far Eastern Japan. Besides, the volume offers new perspectives on Irish emigration in Australia and the USA. Aggiungere l'abstract in inglese