We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland w/ Fintan O’Toole

On this edition of Parallax Views, Fintan O'Toole, long-time journalist of The Irish Times, joins us to discuss his acclaimed new book We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. Although the book is not exactly a memoir, it is a sweeping journey through the decades of Ireland's evolution from the late 1950s through to today from the perspective of Fintan himself. As someone who lived through the turbulence of the Troubles, the bombings carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and the Good Friday Agreement, Fintan is uniquely able to tell the story of Ireland in from the mid-20th century to the present.

In addition to all of this, Fintan and I will also delve into the issue of Brexit, the possibility of Irish reunification, and the rise of English nationalism and the Little England mentality. Fintan will also comment on the differences between English nationalism and Irish nationalism, give details on the Northern Ireland conflict ( aka The Troubles) and its complexity (we'll discuss not only the IRA but also North Irish Unionists like Ian Paisley), what it means to be Irish, national identity and Catholic identity in Ireland, the theme of "Unknown Knowns" and "Doubleness" in Fintan's personal history of Ireland, Catholic Church child sex abuse scandals in Ireland, conservatism and social control, Us Vs. Them mentalities, Irish economist and diplomat T.K. Whitaker and the Irish gambit, Irish composer Seán Ó Riada and traditional Irish music, the European Union and national identities, and much, much more!