What is it about?
This article analyses the representation of realities faced by individuals and communities in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland in Donal Ryan’s novel, Heart, Be at Peace (2024). It examines the use of animal metaphors and comparisons for this portrayal, which provides a comprehensive analysis of most characters of the novel and how they are compared to animals. The article contends that Donal Ryan’s Heart, Be at Peace represents how socio-economic issues from the past are replaced by new ones and how the novel conveys the idea that unlearned lessons from a recent past result in the repetition of mistakes and harmful patterns in contemporary Ireland.
Featured Image
Photo by Eyestetix Studio on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The article adds up to much critical research on one of Ireland's most prolific fiction writers. The article provides an analysis that initertwines theoretical frameworks and aesthetics.
Perspectives
I hope this article draws many readers to Donal Ryan's work, as his fiction encpasulates many of the realities of Ireland today. His work can be considered an open door to Irish social, economic, political and historical issues.
ASIER ALTUNA GARCIA DE SALAZAR
Universidad de Deusto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A “second coming”: Appraising Relational Ethics and Moral Economy through Animals in Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland: Donal Ryan’s Heart, Be at Peace, Estudios Irlandeses, March 2026, Estudios Irlandeses,
DOI: 10.24162/ei2026-13980.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
