This collection examines the presence of minority communities and dissident voices in Ireland
both historically and in a contemporary framework. Accordingly the contributions explore
different facets of what we term ¿Irish minority and dissident identities ¿ ranging from
political agitators drowned out by mainstream narratives of nationhood to identities
differentiated from the majority in terms of ethnicity religion class and health and sexual
minorities that challenge heteronormative perspectives on marriage contraception abortion
and divorce. At a moment when transnational democracy and the rights of minorities seem to be
at risk a book of this nature seems more pressing than ever. In different ways the essays
gathered here remind us of the importance of ¿rethinking¿ nationhood by a process of
denaturalisation of the supremacy of white heterosexual structures.
