This Guide surveys existing criticism and theory and enables students to understand the key critical debates, paradigms and predominant themes and issues in relation to a wide variety of Irish poets, playwrights and novelists. It helps the reader to relate Irish literature and criticism to debates surrounding such issues as national identity and nationalism, modernity and the Revival period, armed stuggle, gender and sexuality, postcolonialism and the development of Irish studies.

A V Kelly's bestselling and classic text is now brought up to date with the latest curriculum changes and current thinking in education. It's great on general principles and the philosophical background to education, making it core reading on all types of education courses.