The last few decades of the 20th century saw Northern Ireland catapulted into the headlines across the world, yet during the dark years of violence there was an impressive, but much less reported, flourishing of creative energy. This wide-ranging collection of original essays comments on the artistic accomplishment of this extraordinary period: the highs and lows of Northern Irish theatre, poetry, fiction, visual arts, and music (pop and classical), as well as discussions of the work of such internationally known figures as Seamus Heaney, Liam Neesen, and Stephen Rea.