Introduction: Icons of Irishness -- Visualizing antiquity -- Classifying taste -- Meet me at the fair -- Keepsakes and souvenirs -- Proclaiming independence, expressing solidarity
Summary
From majestic 'Celtic' crosses to elaborate knotwork designs, visual symbols of Irish identity abound in contemporary culture. In jewelry, souvenirs, tattoos, and even graphic novels and massive public murals, Irishness is depicted in its most medieval garb. Looking back to a mythical past, such images conjure up ancient realms of mystical druids, warrior Celts, and pious Christian monks. Icons of Irishness offers a commentary on the blending of pasts and presents that finds permanent visualization in these contemporary signs of Irish cultural identity. Williams considers both scholarly and popular perspectives, exploring the spaces where Irish modernity meets its 'Celtic' past
