Nationalism is all too often enemy of democracy. (2) THE re-emergence of ethno-nationalism and increasing strife seen in many parts of world arising from nationalistic tensions has quieted those who had predicted end of history or end of ideological conflict. (3) The ability of nationalistic and ethnic conceptions of identity to persist in modern age has surprised those who believed nationalism to be a nineteenth-century ideology. Instead, study of national identity continues to be an important means of understanding political dynamic of change and continuity in many states. (4) With decline of totalitarian ideologies, resurgence of nationalism in post-Cold War period is often presented as greatest threat to supremacy of liberalism as ideology or philosophy of choice in world. (5) While confrontation of liberal values and ethnic identities is all too apparent in many regions, Republic of Ireland provides an interesting and subtler example of complex relationship that exists between nationalism and liberalism. Unlike nationalism that emerged from a liberal tradition in many European states, Irish nationalism emerged first as an anticolonial movement. After independence Irish nationalism was quite conservative as leaders of postcolonial state sought to re-create a premodern and pre-liberal past. Thus Irish nationalism persisted as a parochial political identity far longer than others in European context. While there has been a clear decline in nationalism in most member states of European Union in recent decades, Mattei Dogan found Ireland still to be the most traditionalist country in Europe in terms of intensity of nationalism of its citizens. (6) Despite persistence of nationalism in Irish context, liberalism has begun to intersect with Ireland's traditional sense of national identity, revealing contradictions and tensions as Irish society transcends its postcolonial past and increasingly incorporates liberal postmodern values. The origins of tension between liberalism and nationalism in Ireland begin in a sense with arrival and mobilization of nationalist forces in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Until that time values associated with liberalism and nationalism did not seem to be in conflict. (7) As nationalist movements became increasingly mass-based, however, they began mobilizing entire society behind nationalist cause. In doing so, modern states exhibited an assimilationist tendency, striving for social homogeneity. (8) The Irish struggle to achieve independence and fulfill national aspirations in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries followed this pattern. The nationalistic political culture that emerged in this early postcolonial state reflected conservative agenda of restoring Ireland's Gaelic past, preserving its Catholic traditions, and isolating itself from perceived threat of an alien culture in Britain and outside world. Increasingly, this traditional political culture has been challenged by liberal democratic values in past several decades. Liberalism means more than support for democratic political principles. It also emphasizes individual rights, tolerance of diversity, and material prosperity. In Irish context historic conceptions of identity continue to play important symbolic and emotive roles in political life but are increasingly at odds with liberal values and beliefs that have become more dominant. After a period of inward-looking nationalist policies, Irish, like other postcolonial peoples, have found that isolation and autarchy cannot provide material prosperity that those societies seek. By opening their economy to outside world and especially to their fellow Europeans and by liberalizing their economic policies, Irish have incorporated many Western cultural values as well. …