Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions

This open access book brings together leading global education (GE) practitioners and academics to, for the first time, provide a history of GE in Ireland.Ireland is regarded as a leader in the field of GE worldwide, with a rich history going back to the 1970s. Despite this, there is a lack of reflection on its role and contribution to GE internationally. This book bridges this gap, critically exploring the history of global education policy and practice in the Irish context from different perspectives from across the education spectrum in Ireland, and internationally. The contributors explore the philosophical, pedagogical and globalisation influences on GE, as well as policy trends and curriculum developments. The range of topics discussed include: GE and the sustainable development goals; global citizenship education; activism; solidarity; and critical pedagogy. The role of institutions and other stakeholders are discussed as well as the challenges for transformative practice. Alongside thematic chapters, practical case studies are introduced which illustrate GE practice over time. Relevant to practitioners of global education in Ireland and beyond, the book puts forward a critical, radical and decolonial GE.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Maynooth University.

• Publication date: 30 April 2026
• Page count: 302
• Dimensions: Height 232 mm; Width 152 mm; Thickness 16 mm
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9781350380424