Over the past fifty years Ireland has been through a period of intense change, and has experienced both challenges and successes. In this work, the author, a historian explores the political triumphs and travails in Ireland over this period. She provides an account of the unfolding of The Troubles, the three decades of violence and social unrest between Catholic nationalists and Protestant unionists. She explores the Republic of Ireland's entry into the European Union in 1973, its often contentious relationship with Britain, and the changes in rates of emigration to the USA and the rest of the world. The women's movement in the 1970s and the successive election of two female presidents proved the Republic's ability to accept and internalize social change, and despite Catholic Church scandals and Northern Ireland's turbulence, this partitioned island has remained a significant presence on the world stage. Ireland's economy has also transformed over the last fifty years: the phenomenon of the "Celtic Tiger", the introduction of the Euro, and Ireland's current struggle with the global recession brings the story up to date. This book presents a panorama of the events that have shaped Ireland's social and political landscape over the last fifty years. It deals with Ireland's recent past, as well as how it will continue to develop in the future.