Remembering pasts and representing places: The construction of national identities in Ireland

This paper examines the role played by historical places in the construction of national identities. It uses data from a sample of 105 Irish adults randomly selected from the members of the three main political parties and those of organisations concerned with the promotion of the Irish language. In particular, it examines the symbolic significance of historical places in maintaining a positive, distinctive national identity and providing a sense of continuity with the past. It is shown that the kind of values and feelings associated with the four Irish target places (namely, the General Post Office, Trinity College, Newgrange and Glendalough) relate to the significance of the places in maintaining national identity. The implications of these results for the literature on place, social memory and national identity are discussed. © 1997 Academic Press Limited.