Ireland Research Articles

Irish-American Anti-Imperialism in Patrick Ford’s The Criminal History of the British Empire

Abstract In 1881, Patrick Ford, the Irish-American nationalist editor of the New York Irish newspaper The Irish World and American Industrial Liberator, published The criminal history of the British empire, a collection of five letters that he had written to William Gladstone. In The criminal history, Ford constructed a comprehensive account of British imperial history, beginning with England’s conquest of Ireland, before detailing the colonization of North America, Britain’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade, the American Revolution, British rule in India, the opium wars, and Britain’s contemporary colonization of Africa. This article contributes to scholarship on American views of the British empire in the post-bellum United States. In exploring how Ford constructed a Manichean interpretation of world history, where the British imperial project devastated every region it invaded, the article analyses Ford’s reasons for writing and publishing the letters that formed The criminal history. Finally, the article shows that Ford’s central purpose was to foster a visceral hatred of the British empire among his Irish-American readership, to maintain a commitment to their ethnic heritage as proud Irish people, and to encourage his readers that a better future would soon arrive, when the British empire was finally a relic of the past.

Rummaging in the Attic: Queer Memories and Enduring Activism in the Attic Press/Róisín Conroy Collection

ABSTRACT: This hybrid narrative-historical essay relates the legacy of late-twentieth-century Irish women’s activism as it is documented through the Attic Press/Róisín Conroy Collection (RCC) housed at University College Cork, Ireland. While much of the historical discussion about this era of women’s activism focuses on the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement, in this essay, the author makes the case that the RCC actively presences Irish lesbian women’s activism. The essay highlights specific items in the archive which particularly emphasize the more mundane tasks required to power an enduring social justice movement because these actions are often overlooked in preference for the more obvious public-facing elements of activism. Throughout the piece, the author reflects on her position as an activist and scholar from outside of Ireland in relation to the archive and more recent demonstrations of Irish feminist activism. Ultimately, the history of Irish women’s and lesbian activism as documented by the RCC reminds readers of the need for collaboration and collective rage, thought, and pain. In the post-COVID-19 era, activists will be re-visioning the way they connect, share, care, and fight for justice.

The Evolution of Female Characters From Antiquity to Modernity: An Examination of Marinna Carr's and Carol Lashof's Adaptations of Classical Mythology

Literature relies heavily on mythology. Myths are stories of deities, monsters or immortals which are transformed from one generation to the other. In addition to documenting the religious and cultural experiences of a specific community, myths also outline the consequent literary, artistic and dramatic customs. Some Greek myths have survived for thousands of years because they accurately depict historical events, cultural values, and trends. Among the most famous classical myths are the myths of Medusa and Medea. As for the myth of Medusa, the earliest known record was found in Theogony (700BC) by Hesiod (8 th-7th century BC). A later version of the Medusa myth was made by the Roman poet Ovid (43BC –17/18AD), in his “Metamorphoses” (3-8 AD). Then again, Medea is a tragedy produced in 431 BC by the Greek playwright Euripides(480–406BC) based on the myth of Jason and Medea. Both Medusa and Medea are among the most fascinating and complex female protagonists in Greek mythology which have captivated many writers and playwrights for ages. In the twentieth century, there were many adaptations of both mythological figures; among these adaptations were those made by contemporary American and Irish women playwrights like Carol Lashof (1956-) and Marinna Carr (1964-). This paper examines the myths of Medusa and Medea and analyses the ways these myths are borrowed, refashioned and exploited in Lashof’s Medusa’s Tale (1991) and Carr’s By the Bog of Cats (1998). Both playwrights explore hidden dimensions of the traditional myths, combining elements from the old and modern worlds.

Findings from a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial of a music and dance programme for community dwelling older adults

IntroductionFunctional decline, chronic illness, reduced quality of life and increased healthcare utilisation are common in older adults. Evidence suggests music and dance can support healthy ageing in older adults. This study explored the feasibility, potential for effect and cost effectiveness of the Music and Movement for Health (MMH) programme among community-dwelling older adults using a pragmatic cluster-randomised, controlled feasibility trial design. MethodsCommunity-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older were recruited to seven clusters in the Mid-West region of Ireland. Clusters were block randomised to either the MMH intervention or control. Primary feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, adherence, fidelity, and safety. Secondary outcomes measured physical activity, physical and cognitive performance, and psychosocial well-being, along with healthcare utilisation were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. ResultsThe study successfully met feasibility targets, with recruitment (n = 100), retention (91 %), adherence (71 %), data completeness (92 %) and intervention fidelity (21 out of 24) all meeting predetermined criteria. Both groups exhibited an increase in self-reported physical activity and improved physical function. Participants in the intervention group scored consistently better in psychosocial measures compared to the control group at follow-up. The health economic analysis confirmed the feasibility of the methodology employed and points to the potential cost-effectiveness of the MMH relative to the control or no organised programme. Discussion and ImplicationsThe MMH intervention and study design were found to be feasible and acceptable with important findings to inform future evaluation of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a definitive randomised controlled trial.

Dogs in the picture: restoring the queer history of the Irish family

ABSTRACT Taking the Irish pianist and music teacher Dorothy Stokes as a case study, this article explores alternative formulations of kinship in independent Ireland. It analyzes Stokes’s family life from two perspectives. The first is through her articulation of dogs as family within her abundant archive of photograph albums. The second is through her uneasy relationship to marriage as revealed in her correspondence with her lovers. The article argues that Stokes used the language and visual economy of marriage and family to claim her own ability to be a partner and a parent, despite her legal status as an umarried. In a legal and social context that emphasized marriage as the sole legitimate basis for family life, Stokes’ alternative kinships are all the more striking and significant. They indicate the need to think differently, and more queerly, about the history of the twentieth-century Irish family. While recognizing the extraordinarily rigid and violent family norm promulgated by the state, the churches, and society in Ireland, this article seeks to explore how to write histories of the Irish family that are not tethered to that norm, recognizing instead the diversity of ways that Irish people practiced kinship in real life. The alternative visions of kinship that Stokes created never mapped neatly or consistently on to the normative categories they echoed – wife, husband, mother – and, in their potential to escape the logics of those norms, they could be understood as what Harlan Weaver has called ‘queer affiliations.’ They were never utopian or antinormative escapes from the family, but instead direct our attention to the messy abundance of family as it was lived in twentieth-century Ireland.

Seek and you shall find: Yersinia enterocolitica in Ireland’s drinking water

IntroductionThree Yersinia species were identified from samples of drinking water from diverse geographic regions of Ireland. Conventional commercial biochemical identification systems classified them as Yersinia enterocolitica. Since this organism is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in some countries, further investigation was warranted. The aim of the study was to provide a microbial characterisation of three Yersinia species, to determine their pathogenicity, and to review the incidence rate of Yersinia enterocolitica detection in our region.MethodsOrganism identification was performed using conventional commercial diagnostic systems MALDI-TOF, API 20E, API 50CHE, TREK Sensititre GNID and Vitek 2 GN, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed. Historical data for detections was extracted from the lab system for 2008 to 2023.ResultsAll three isolates gave “good” identifications of Yersinia enterocolitica on conventional systems. Further analysis by WGS matched two of the isolates with recently described Yersinia proxima, and the third was a member of the non-pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica clade 1Aa.DiscussionOur analysis of these three isolates deemed them to be Yersinia species not known currently to be pathogenic, but determining this necessitated the use of next-generation sequencing and advanced bioinformatics. Our work highlights the importance of having this technology available to public laboratories, either locally or in a national reference laboratory. The introduction of molecular technologies for the detection of Yersinia species may increase the rate of detections. Accurate identification of significant pathogens in environmental, public health and clinical microbiology laboratories is critically important for the protection of society.

Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess habitual iodine intake among women of childbearing age.

Adequate iodine status is critical for thyroid hormone synthesis, which is essential for foetal brain development. Suboptimal iodine status has been reported in young women across Europe. Although urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is a good indicator of recent exposure, it does not reflect habitual iodine intake. This study aimed to develop and validate an iodine-specific food frequency questionnaire (I-FFQ) to assess habitual intake in Irish women aged 18-50 years. A 47-item interviewer-administered I-FFQ, informed by national food consumption data on Irish women aged 18-35 years, was developed and validated in a study of 100 nonpregnant women using a 4-day weighed food diary (FD) and UIC as the reference methods. Correlation, cross-classification and Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess agreement and bias between the I-FFQ and FD. Validity coefficients were calculated using the method of triads. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) UIC was 82 (49, 139) µg/L. Median (IQR) intakes were 161 (106, 217) and 133 (98, 182) µg/day for the I-FFQ and FD, respectively (p = 0.001). Estimates were moderately correlated (r = 0.434), and the I-FFQ classified 89% of participants into the same or adjacent tertile of intake as the FD. Validity coefficients for the I-FFQ, FD and UIC were 0.542, 0.800 and 0.228, respectively. Though repeatability analyses 10 weeks later (n = 69) showed slight differences in estimates of intake (I-FFQ1: 164 (104, 210) µg/day; I-FFQ2: 132 (67, 237) µg/day), intakes were highly correlated between administrations (r = 0.627, p = 0.001). The I-FFQ provides a reasonable estimate of habitual iodine intake in young women.

Poverty and Prejudice: Assembling a Picture of the Oral Health of Convicts Sent to Van Diemen’s Land

Abstract The correlation between poor oral health and social and economic disadvantage is a global concern that continues to afflict vulnerable populations. Poverty and its related stresses were also significant factors in the poor oral health experienced by British convicts in the nineteenth century. This article presents an analysis of incidental descriptions of teeth, observed in physical accounts of convicts transported to the penal colonies of Van Diemen’s Land, now known as Tasmania, between the years 1803 and 1853. Coding of these descriptions found a significant disparity in the recorded tooth loss of female convicts when compared to their male counterparts. To interpret these findings and build a better understanding of the oral health status of this cohort, the current study draws on modern medical knowledge, relevant bioarchaeological studies and documented archaeological findings, as well as history of the time. Nutritional deficiencies, smoking, unsanitary living conditions and increased susceptibility to disease are common themes, which we know today, impact on oral disease and tooth loss. A less-expected narrative to emerge from the data reviewed, suggests a gender bias involving the close scrutiny of female appearance. Possible evidence of an historically acknowledged racial bias against those of Irish descent is also suggested in our analysis.

Mapping Geoelectric Field Hazards in Ireland

AbstractGeoelectric fields are generated at the Earth's surface and can lead to the induction of hazardous geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in infrastructure like power grids, railways and pipelines during geomagnetic storms. Magnitude and orientation of the geoelectric fields, in relation to the infrastructure, are key features needed to determine the intensity of GIC. Here, we developed the first geoelectric hazard map for the island of Ireland, with the aim of providing detailed information that can help stakeholders mitigate the impact of GICs. The hazard map was developed by modeling and mapping the geoelectric field across Ireland for 28 years (1991–2018) using magnetic field data with magnetotelluric transfer functions. The approach for developing the hazard map calculates the probability of exceeding a hazardous geoelectric field threshold (500 mV/km) during large geomagnetic storms, taking directionality and amplitude into account. We found hazardous geoelectric fields to be mostly localized in areas in the west, south‐west and northern coast. We observed that the geoelectric field have a stronger dominant orientation than the orientation of the geomagnetic field, often constraining the hazardous geoelectric field in particular directions only. We demonstrate a seasonal/diurnal effect is present in the geoelectric field time series. The impact of galvanic distortion was also assessed, and we demonstrate that there is a significant difference in terms of amplitude and direction between both models.

A comparison of rate and methods of probable suicide for 2 years pre and post the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To examine and compare rates and methods of probable suicide in a Western region of Ireland during a 24 month period since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a similar period immediately prior to the pandemic onset. Post-mortem reports between March 1st 2018 and February 29th 2020 were reviewed and compared with data from March 1st 2020 to February 28th 2022. Relevant demographic data, rates and methods of probable suicide and lifetime engagement with mental health services were compared across the two time points. Identical rates of probable suicide (85 individuals at both time points) were demonstrated with no difference evident in the utilisation of violent compared to non-violent methods. This study demonstrates that despite previous reports of increased rates of self-harm and some evidence of increased mental distress since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, no change in rates of or methods employed by individuals who died by probable suicide were evident in this geographical region.

Exploration of Evaluation Practices in Social Prescribing Services in Ireland: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

National health services in Ireland and the UK fund the majority of social prescribing services and have issued recommendations for evaluation. However, it is not known what outcomes are prioritised for evaluation within individual services and what evaluation methods are used to capture recommended outcomes. A survey was carried out to examine evaluation practices of social prescribing services on the island of Ireland. This study used a cross-sectional observational design. The sample was all the staff involved in delivering and/or managing SP services on the island of Ireland. Questionnaires were distributed at a national SP conference and online. Closed-response questions were analysed using descriptive statistics. Content analysis was used for open-ended questions. Eighty-four usable surveys were returned (50% from the Republic of Ireland and 50% from Northern Ireland). All respondents (100%) agreed on the importance of measuring SP outcomes. The most frequently measured outcomes were health and well-being (89.2%) and loneliness (84%). The least frequently measured outcome was the satisfaction of healthcare professionals referring to SP: 78.4% of respondents never measured this outcome. The most frequently used measurement tool was the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, with 38/76 (50%) respondents using this measure. There was a lack of standardised measures identified for some outcomes. For example, 70% of respondents reported always measuring physical activity (PA), but only four respondents identified a specific PA measure. In open-ended questions, respondents recommended flexibility in evaluation methods to reflect the complexity and individualised focus of SP. They also identified the need for protected time to complete evaluations and recommended a national strategy to inform priorities in evaluations. This study demonstrates a wide variation on the island of Ireland on how SP services are measuring outcomes, with many outcomes rarely or never measured using standardised measures. Agreement is needed on a core outcome set for social prescribing in order to guide service delivery and evaluations.

Badger Ecology, Bovine Tuberculosis, and Population Management: Lessons from the Island of Ireland

The European badger, Meles meles, is an important wildlife host for Mycobacterium bovis and contributes to the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle in several countries. The control of zoonotic diseases, such as bTB, is a central component of global One-Health strategies. Such strategies are complicated by human–wildlife conflicts, particularly where wildlife reservoirs are legally protected. The contrasting objectives of disease management and wildlife conservation, therefore, can require significant investment in research to support evidence-based policies. In Britain and Ireland, for example, badgers are a legally protected species but are also subject to lethal control and vaccination for disease management. In this paper, we review recent (2012–2022) advances in research on this wildlife host on the island of Ireland, which is used to underpin national policies and identify research gaps. In recent years, significant advances in estimating key parameters related to badger management and population dynamics have been made, including estimating population abundance at varying scales (local, landscape, and national). Advances in tracking technology, integrated with mark-recapture and modelling tools, have provided significant insights into the movement ecology of badgers and their interactions with cattle. The adaptation of genetic technologies has improved our understanding of the transmission dynamics of M. bovis among different hosts. As a disease management strategy, the culling of badgers to control bTB has reduced badger densities significantly, although this is not considered a sustainable sole long-term solution to the problem of spillback infection. The recent development of vaccination strategies presents an additional approach to control the disease in wild populations. These types of interventions will require significant applied research to ensure they are sustainable and to maximise benefits. It is also expected that focused research efforts will improve human–wildlife coexistence in the context of the broader One-Health strategy.

A qualitative study of adult protection procedures: threshold screening of new referrals by designated adult safeguarding practitioners

Purpose This qualitative study set within Northern Ireland aims to explore professional perspectives on the application of evidence-informed practice to the adult safeguarding threshold screening process. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from seven social workers in one health and social care trust area, who perform the designated adult protection role, through individual semi-structured interviews in one region of Northern Ireland. The interview schedule comprised of a series of questions examining the role of the designated adult protection officer and included three vignettes (Appendix). A thematic analysis was undertaken using NVIVO software. Findings This paper reports main findings under the themes of: the role of the designated adult protection officer, threshold decision-making, evidence-informed practice and service improvement. One of the main findings was that professionals viewed the current process as too bureaucratic, and there was a desire to engage in more preventive safeguarding in collaboration with service users. There was a need to promote awareness of evidence-informed practice as it applies to the threshold screening process. Furthermore, the study raised the question of the need to consider the application of models or methods of assessment to the threshold screening process. Originality/value This in-depth exploration of the role of designated adult protection officers in Northern Ireland provides a valuable insight into the complexity involved in managing adult safeguarding referrals and investigations. This study adds to the existing knowledge base, identifies potential service improvements and highlights the gap in evidence-based practice as it applies to the threshold screening process. Threshold screening of adult safeguarding referrals remains a subjective process and is open to interpretation and differences in professional judgement. The study highlights the need to consider the application of quality improvement methodology to the threshold screening assessment and the need to promote the exchange of safeguarding knowledge.

A Common Purpose? Social Work Students’ Social Justice Related Views in Finland and the island of Ireland

Abstract Exploring social work students’ views to understand how equipped they are to pursue the social justice mission of the profession should be of central academic and practical interest. There are, however, surprisingly few empirical studies focussing on social work students’ views on social justice-related issues from a comparative viewpoint. Such knowledge is thought to be of a wider international interest from a number of perspectives, including social work education and student exchange and, in a wider context, for the development of social work as a profession and for discussing the prerequisites for shared international notions of social work. This article explores the views of social work students studying in different socio-economic contexts and welfare regimes in relation to some key aspects assumed to be vital for the profession. The results based on survey data from student cohorts in Finland (N = 608) and the island of Ireland (N = 279) support the general conclusion that there are important, similar patterns of motivations and understandings amongst the students, despite substantial differences in histories, welfare state developments, current policies and social conditions in various jurisdictions. The results are of interest to educators across countries internationally and provide an important basis for future similar studies.

Dubliners: The Story of A City in Paralysis

The city's image acquired special prominence in many literary works related to modernist literature. In these works, the writers used the city details simultaneously to serve as symbols and references to the themes and issues that can appear in the works. This fact is especially actual in the case of James Joyce's Dublin - the permanent setting of most works by this great Irish modernist. It is worth noting that Joyce took the steps forward to discuss his city with the bright and dark sides. Dubliners, the collection of short stories, belonged to this type of modernist literature focused on the city. James Joyce wrote this collection in the early period of his writing career, and its title highlighted the significance of Dublin – as a city and its people. In each story of the collection, the capital of Ireland was not a mere setting but a unifying factor to portray a complete and comprehensive image of the collection. In every story, Joyce presented a single issue or a merged collection of obstacles found in Dublin and affected the people. In general, Joyce represented the capital city as the center of paralysis, affecting its citizens despite their age. This paper examined the prominence and symbolic meaning of the city in the text. Joyce demonstrated detailed descriptions while mapping his city. For instance, the writer presented the characters while meandering around Dublin's different types of streets. These incidents offered symbolic importance that the people of Dublin moved in circular routs in vain attempts to break the different layers of circles imposed over them at that time. Implicitly, this reference demonstrated the inability of the people of Dublin (the Dubliners) to escape the physical, cultural, political, and religious paralysis. Joyce's portrayal of paralysis in his collection mirrored the entire country of Ireland's broader social and political context during that time. Ireland was undergoing significant changes, yet it seemed imprisoned in inertia and stagnation. The characters and their stories served as microcosms to reflect the broader and extensive social condition, highlighting the challenges faced by the Irish people in breaking free from the paralysis that held them back without tangible outcomes.

Brexit: analysis of the socio-economic impact on the future of UK-Ireland relations

This paper discusses the outcomes of the debate over the status of the Irish border during negotiations for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (“Brexit”), aiming to measure its socioeconomic impact after the creation of a new external border. To this end, we collect and compare data on the trade of goods and services between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product growth, and unemployment rates for the 2016-2019 period, during which London and Brussels negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement. Special attention is given to the North-South interaction in the island of Ireland since its border was one of the most problematic issues when the new UK-EU trade deal was being crafted. Although the exact long-term implications were not completely clear in the chosen period for this analysis, the evidence found suggests that the FDI in the UK is the most negatively impacted indicator, due to the relevance of the presence of EU investors in the country before Brexit, while other variables have shown nearly no relevant fluctuations to support the hypothesis that a change on the Irish border’s status would negatively impact on the UK-Ireland economic relations on the long term.

The Crayfish Plague Pathogen Aphanomyces astaci in Ireland.

Crayfish plague is a devastating disease of European freshwater crayfish and is caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci (Ap. astaci), believed to have been introduced to Europe around 1860. All European species of freshwater crayfish are susceptible to the disease, including the white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes. Ap. astaci is primarily spread by North American crayfish species and can also disperse rapidly through contaminated wet gear moved between water bodies. This spread, coupled with competition from non-indigenous crayfish, has drastically reduced and fragmented native crayfish populations across Europe. Remarkably, the island of Ireland remained free from the crayfish plague pathogen for over 100 years, providing a refuge for A. pallipes. However, this changed in 1987 when a mass mortality event was linked to the pathogen, marking its introduction to the region. Fortunately, crayfish plague was not detected again in Ireland until 2015 when a molecular analysis linked a mass mortality event in the Erne catchment to Ap. astaci. Since then, the pathogen has appeared across the island. Between 2015 and 2023, Ap. astaci was detected in 18 water catchments, revealing multiple genotypes. Intriguingly, the pathogen in Ireland is present without its natural host species. The uneven distribution of various genetic lineages strongly suggests the human-mediated transport of zoospores via contaminated water equipment as a primary cause of spread. This review details the timeline of these events, Ap. astaci's introduction into Ireland, and its rapid spread. As well, this review references the genotypes that have been determined, and discusses the issue of non-indigenous crayfish species in Ireland and management efforts.

P21 Bi-allelic TUFT1 variants in two siblings with woolly hair and skin fragility

Abstract TUFT1 encodes tuftelin-1, a glycoprotein thought to play a major role in mineralization and structural organization of enamel, but it has not been implicated in any monogenic enamel disorders. Recently, Jackson et al. (2023) identified that tuftelin-1 has a role in desmosomal function. Pathology in desmosomal components causes disorders affecting the skin, hair, and heart. Newly described bi-allelic loss-of-function TUFT1 variants (OMIM600087) cause a novel skin fragility-woolly hair phenotype. We present two siblings from non-consanguineous parents of Irish and British ancestry. Both had normal skin at birth and developed widespread blisters on day two of life, on the limbs, buttocks area and inside the mouth. Although their skin fragility had improved with age, they still developed flare-ups with multiple small blisters, mainly on their limbs when viral illness. They had mild palmoplantar keratoderma and skin peeling. Their most characteristic phenotype was slow-­growing woolly hair that did not need cutting until the age of 5 years old in the older sibling. The eyebrows and eyelashes were unaffected. Recently, the older sibling has developed keratosis pilaris on her arms. The heart was unaffected with normal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Whole exome sequencing identified homozygous NM_020127:c.60+1G>A TUFT1 variants in both affected individuals. These two cases reflect a novel condition. The predominant clinical phenotype is woolly hair and early signs of skin fragility. Despite having a role in desmosomal integrity bi-­allelic loss-of-function TUFT1 variants do not appear to cause cardiac pathology.

Valuing and sustaining older peoples' day care services.

Unprecedented ageing and growth of the global population of older people is predicted. Between independent and residential care, day care is an essential part of a population-based strategy to support ageing well in place. To describe experiences of older people attending day care services. Using the qualitative method, two focus groups were completed in 2018 in a region of Ireland with 12 participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed; grounded theory guided the subsequent analysis. Older people valued their participation in day care, describing the 'home from home' experience positively. Community nurses from the local public health nursing service played a key role in fostering and sustaining participation. National commitment to population-based age friendly environments is required to facilitate the wellbeing of a growing older demographic.

“The business of being a [twenty-first century] Rose”: racial capitalism in the Rose of Tralee pageant

ABSTRACT Since 1959, the Rose of Tralee International Festival has invited women of Irish ancestry to compete in Tralee, Co. Kerry for the title of the Rose of Tralee, an honour granted to women prepared to act as a figurehead and an ambassador for Ireland and the diaspora. While Irish society has undergone many enormous changes since the Festivals founding, one of which being the increased multiculturalism of the population, the festival’s relationship with tourism, economic revitalisation, and capitalism has remained constant. Using discourse analysis to examine the intersections of racial capitalism, diaspora, and womanhood in Ireland, this article examines how, and why, biracial Roses became symbols of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland and the ideological struggles Ireland contends with when it comes to negotiating race, gender, diaspora, and economy in the twenty-first century.