Irish literature and poetry is rich with expressions of national identity and pride. Looking back at two centuries of Irish literature, this book examines the effects of British colonization and decolonization on the construction of Irish identity in literature. Drawing on a wealth of non-Irish writers -- including Frantz Fanon, Gayatri Spivak and Edward Said -- to illuminate the issues that arise from colonial oppression, this volume contributes to current debates on colonialism and post-colonialism in Irish scholarship.