Goodbye to Catholic Ireland

'A fair analysis of what was, and still is, good and bad in Catholic Ireland's development since the fall of Parnell. I read it with unwaning admiration' William Trevor, The Spectator

Completely revised and updated, this new edition of Goodbye to Catholic Ireland, originally published in the Nineties, is more than just a social history of twentieth century Ireland. Written in Mary Kenny's inimitable style, her polemical and erudite narrative draws on a wide variety of sources to challenge the simplistic image of Ireland as a society controlled by the Church.

An entirely new section contains a variety of views on the legacy of Catholic Ireland, through interviews with John Banville, Edna O'Brien, Tony O'Reilly, Pierce Brosnan, Andrea Corr and Maeve Binchy among others.

Praise for the first edition:

'She says "Goodbye" with regret, but with style' James Downey, Irish Independent

'Written with a strong feeling for the essential femininity of Catholicism' David Quinn, The Irish Times

'Learned and lively' Neal Ascherson, New York Review of Books