This essential new history of the Irish state is a study of Ireland’s international profile on the world stage, rather than its party politics. Against a global backdrop, it offers a fresh and analytical study of the origins of the Irish state, the Irish revolution and the growth of Irish diplomacy, from just six consulates in the 1920s to over sixty embassies by the 2010s. Through original research and analysis, historian Owen McGee explores how Ireland’s economic performance formed a perpetual context for its role in international relations, and also locates Ireland’s place within evolving European, American and United Nations debates, resulting in the first comprehensive and incisive overview of a century of Irish diplomacy.

By focusing on Ireland’s struggle for independence in a global context, McGee examines how the Irish state slowly came to find a distinct role on the world stage, and raises questions regarding its evolving geopolitical, cultural and economic identities, as it sought to find its place within a globalised economy, not only politically but also in terms of the world of ideas.