An Exploration of the Irish presence in the published record

Ireland's global cultural profile, and the widespread interest in "Irishness," can be partially understood through the island's manifestation in the published record. Using WorldCat, this publication offers reflections on the Irish presence in the published record, including its size and salient characteristics, evolving trends, and patterns of global diffusion. While our exploration of the Irish presence is not exhaustive, it does sketch out the contours of this important piece of the overall published record, and hopefully inspires ideas for new modes of inquiry into Ireland's distinctive cultural influence around the world. Not incidentally, this study also highlights the indispensable role of libraries as repositories and caretakers of the creative outputs of Ireland and all nations.