"Covering the period from c.1450 to the present, this Companion is designed to serve the needs of readers whose interests lie well beyond the familiar boundaries of Irish culture. At the same time it provides fresh critical insight into those traditionally more prominent subjects such as literature and political history. Extensive and original coverage is given to architecture, music, painting and other arts, with stress upon their broader European contexts. There are also major articles on such subjects as Catholics and Catholicism, and the position of women."--Jacket.