Ardagh, John, Ireland and the Irish: Portrait of a Changing Society, Hamish Hamilton, 1994.

In this accessible book, Ardagh examines how the Irish
Republic has undergone a tremendous transformation
in the last half of the twentieth century, from a mainly
rural society to one that embraces the modern world.
Although the writer addresses the conflict in Northern
Ireland, he is not limited by it, discussing a wide variety
of topics—from life in the slums of Dublin to the
massive success of the Irish rock band U2.

Burris, Sydney, The Poetry of Resistance: Seamus Heaney and the Pastoral Tradition, Ohio University Press, 1990.

This critical overview of Heaney's poetry examines
the same issue that Heaney explores in much of his
poetry—the artist's responsibility of addressing the
current problems of society in his or her work.

Conroy, John, Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life, Beacon Press...