The Two Irelands and the Diaspora

This book shines a light on the contribution of the Irish diaspora to the economic development of Ireland, encompassing both northern Ireland and the republic. In particular, it focuses on the understudied role of Irish American entrepreneurs and businesses in generating growth and investment in the Irish economies from partition to the end of the twentieth century.

The book traces the relationship between members of the Irish diaspora and their home territories through a political and economic lens, demonstrating how the initial protectionism of the two Irelands immediately after partition gave way to market-based, outward-facing policies that encouraged strengthened business links with Irish emigrants, particularly in the US. The book explores various facets of the economic potential of the Irish diaspora and the ways that governments in northern and the republic of Ireland sought to maximize this. It also offers some comparative insights on the economic policy of the two Irelands over time, and discusses how the recent economic history of the Irish diaspora still resonates in the relationship between Ireland and the US today. This book will be of interest to a wide range of scholars in economic and business history, Irish history, and diaspora studies.