How can Ireland survive the seismic changes of the past three decades?

Historians in Ireland occupy a public role – unlike in Britain, where those with an inclination towards the commentariat usually migrate to America. This is perhaps not surprising in a country where public intellectuals are exemplified by Stephen Fry and philosophers by Alain de Botton. Ireland presents a more demanding prospect, where, ever since the days of Conor Cruise O’Brien, historians have colonised the public sphere with influential newspaper columns and regular debates on television. Indeed, when the national TV station began broadcasting in the early 1960s, it featured a discussion programme called The Professors, all of them historians (and one or two usually a bit the worse for wear).

Diarmaid Ferriter currently carries the flag for the historian-as-commentator, and does it with considerable élan. He is also far too hardworking to abuse the hospitality room. His punchy columns in the Irish Times are required reading on the issues of the day, and a stream of substantial books have dug deep into the modern Irish experience, covering revolution, civil war, social change, sexual behaviour and most recently the Irish border.