Changing Constructions of the Pagan in the Irish National Print Media 1900–2013

This research note examines how the terms ‘pagan’ and ‘paganism’ have variously been used in Irish national print media. It does this to investigate how Irish identity was constructed as the Republic of Ireland changed to a secularising society where the hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church substantially weakened. It finds that the trope of ‘pagan’ has been used to represent moral threats or political threats (such as the growth of Nazism or secularism) or acknowledge the influence of paganism (defined as ancient religious elements) on Irish culture. Research on Irish Pagans and related eco-spiritualities is a nascent field of study and this research note aims to contribute to its development. Limitations of the present study are outlined and avenues for future research are discussed.