Outside the Glow

Reviews / Votes

Professor R. V. Comerford and author Heather Crawford speaking at the book launch and available on the IQDA webpage: http://www.iqda.ie/content/outside-glow-protestants-and-irishness-independent-ireland 'You'd have thought that in 21st-century Ireland all traces of the historic antipathy shown by Catholics to Protestants would have disappeared. Surely today, it no longer matters 'which foot you dig with'? But it does - The research shows that Protestants are not perceived to have 'Irishness', that certain something that says you belong; instead they are seen as somehow less than authenically Irish. The research also shows, not surprisingly, that this is resented by Protestants born, brought up and educated in the state they call home. 'Stereotypes based on the emotional legacy of the historic emnity surface unconciously,' the author writes, 'reinforcing the notion that Irish national identity is unequivocally Catholic, nationalist and Gaelic.' Irish Independent 6 March 2010 'Outside the Glow: Protestants and Irishness in Independent Ireland - offers an incisive investigation into how the Irish Protestant community sees itself. Irish Protestants consider themselves to be Irish, Crawford argues, but perceive that those around them do not see their claim to be Irish as wholly valid. - Crawford effectively handles the myriad of social divisions and misunderstandings which put Protestants and Catholics on occasionally diverging paths in Irish society: divided education, tensions over mixed marriages, the land question and the impact of cultural nationalism on the national psyche. In developing the theme, the author does not shy away from dealing with the issue of what she terms 'Protestant self-marginalisation' - In essence, there was more than mere dogma or cultural identity at stage here - it was a struggle for survival. Due to the strict requirement for non-Catholic partners of Catholics to raise their children in the Roman Catholic faith, there was a real risk that mixed-religion marriage spelt potential doom for the next generation of Irish Protestantism. Crawford also explores the existence of networks of Protestant advancement: the practice of hiring Protestants to senior positions in companies owned by members of the same community; the advestising of vacant jobs via a notice from the rector on the pulpit, through Protestant youth clubs; or through the much distrusted Freemasons, which were primarily populated by Protestants. The practice was not limited to Protestants and doubtlessly only mirrored what occurred among lay Catholic organisations and other denominational societies which wished to preserve the values and prominence of their cadre to the best of their ability and against what each side saw as external enemies. The employment of anonymous contributions is a standard academic tool used to inform a qualitative study such as this. The opinions are interesting and keenly insightful, albeit weakened by their anonymity.' Read the full article here: Review of Outside the Glow, Sunday Business Post 4 April 2010 John Burke Sunday Business Post 4 April 2010 'The interview material she adduces makes very clear that, at individual level, there has been a frequent sense of Protestant vulnerability, exclusion and marginalisation. Indeed, she chronicles far more 'inter-communal harassment' in both directions than would be assumed by those who think that sectarianism only obtains in the North. Crawford's book calmly deals with education, intermarriage, the Irish language and social class and the resulting account is readable and valuable. The book argues that 'both communities need to acknowledge, rather than deny, that inter-communal tensions remain'. Heather Crawford's suggestion that such tensions will best be managed through 'mutual respect' is made all the more cogent because of the thoughtful research presented by her in this important book.' Professor Richard English Irish Times 10 April 2010 Heather Crawford's study uses a skilful and fascinating blending of the tools of history and social studies to provide an engaging study of how Catholics and Protestants have interacted with each other in Ireland since the foundation of the Irish Free State. In her extensive research and interviews, she asks whether there are still underlying tensions or emotional legacies left over from the events of the past. And she does it with humour and with style, questioning and challenging some of the myths that still persist among some people to this day - that there is no such thing as a poor Protestant, that there is a particular Protestant work ethic, that Protestants have small families, or that many Protestants are the descendants of 'planters'. Canon Patrick Comerford Irish Catholic May 2010 This book seeks to demonstrate that Protestants in the Republic of Ireland cannot have an authentic Irish identity, since real Irishness is, or is perceived to be, a Roman Catholic-Gaelic-nationalist construct. - The reality is that there is no one form of Irishness, but many strands which are not mutually exclusive. Different people express their Irishness by identifying with some strands and not with others. The irony is that means of claiming membership of the Irish nation and the Church of Ireland are much the same - you are because you declare to be.' Raymond Refausse Church of Ireland Gazette June 2010 'Heather Crawford's study uses a skilful and fascinating blending of the tools of history and social studies to provide an engaging study of how Catholics and Protestants have interacted with each other in Ireland since the foundation of the Irish Free State.' Irish Catholic May 2010 '[An] interdisciplinary examination of Protestant Irish identity in the Republic of Ireland based on interviews with one hundred people both Catholic and Protestant communities, and from a variety of regional and socio-economic backgrounds - focusing on subjects such as education, language, inter-marriage and class. Well documented and will appeal to readers interested in Irish sociology and the study of the development of identity.' Book News August 2010 'The real impact of oral history comes from its exploration of lived experience. The testimony gathered by Crawford is at times sad, uplifting, wry and perceptive; it is deeply fascinating and illuminates some of the residual religious, ethnic and cultural tensions lurking beneath the surface in modern Ireland. Outside the Glow should be commended for taking a bold approach to such sensitive and challenging issues as the confessional divide in Ireland and what it means to be Irish.' Irish Archives Anniversary Issue 2010 Vol 17 'This is an interesting and helpful examination of the status of Protestant citizens in the Irish Republic. ... Outside the Glow is well organised and a very interesting read precisely because of the anecdotal nature of many of the contributions. There are occasional glitches, but these are minor matters and the book is a valuable addition to our understanding of the relationships between separated but related religious and ethical disciplines on a small island in Europe.' Search 34 (2) 2011 'A central point in this research is that many prejudices are based on distorted readings of history, which feed into the emotional legacy. - A study like this is valuable in laying bare such attitudes, and thus challenging people to examine them, how they stand up, and how they impact on others. It underlines the importance of historians' efforts to seek out the truth, and at the same time must allow for the fact that not all will have a nuanced reading of history ... 'we can expect an insightful and thought-provoking study, and that is exactly what we get.' Irish Literary Supplement, Spring 2012 'The conclusion to which the research directs us is of great importance.' Irish Studies Review 19 (3) 2011