Irish Studies in the second-level school curriculum in Ireland 1973–1977: a missed opportunity for the development of an inclusive notion of Irish identity

This paper details the background to proposals of the Irish Department of Education in 1974 to introduce a new school subject entitled “Irish Studies” to complement rather than replace the long-standing Irish language and literature courses that the authorities of all post-primary schools had to ensure were taught from 1922. From studying both areas, it was argued, students would develop a more inclusive notion of Irish identity than had hitherto been promoted through the education system. However, subsequent developments were maintained only for about five years. That outcome meant that an opportunity was lost between then and the present day for preparing Irish citizens to be able to contest xenophobic expressions of Irish nationalism based on discredited interpretations of Irish history.