Pat Leahy

Despite the high aspirations of young people from disadvantaged communities, they face barriers that are frustrating the realisation of their educational ambitions. This book analyses the ‘left-behind’ phenomenon and shows how education has become the new divide in Western society. It explains how denied educational equality and frustrated opportunity are undermining social cohesion and what we can do about it. It challenges meritocratic thinking and the efficacy of widening participation as a policy for social inclusion. Combining analysis of educational disadvantage at an international level and among Travelling communities with empirical data derived from fieldwork with parents, teachers and students in the European Union (Ireland), this book offers fresh thinking and new hope in relation to young people left behind in the opportunity structure.

Despite the high aspirations of young people from disadvantaged communities, they face barriers that are frustrating the realisation of their educational ambitions. This book analyses the ‘left-behind’ phenomenon and shows how education has become the new divide in Western society. It explains how denied educational equality and frustrated opportunity are undermining social cohesion and what we can do about it. It challenges meritocratic thinking and the efficacy of widening participation as a policy for social inclusion. Combining analysis of educational disadvantage at an international level and among Travelling communities with empirical data derived from fieldwork with parents, teachers and students in the European Union (Ireland), this book offers fresh thinking and new hope in relation to young people left behind in the opportunity structure.

'The go-to political chronicler of our times' Sunday Times'Vivid and compelling ... excellent' Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times'A tremendous read. I'll be recommending it' Sean O'Rourke, RTÉ'Absorbing ... fascinating ... impressive amount of detail ... Leahy vividly sketches a picture of a mercurial political marriage' Lise Hand, Irish Independent'Explosive revelations' The Herald'Fascinating & believable' Cathal Mac Coille'Great read, great insights, highly recommended' David McCullagh'Very well written and a good pacy read ... excellent ... thoroughly readable and understandable .... Compelling' The Phoenix'Forensic and compelling ... Leahy transforms politics into a page-turner ... He writes with style, substance (some of the detail is astonishing) and no little wit' RTÉ Guide'Gripping' Irish Mail on Sunday'Pat Leahy's book is a page-turner' Gavin Duffy'A fantastic read. A really good narrative.' Noreen Hegarty'Excellent' James Downey, Irish Independent'Can't wait to read The Price of Power by Pat Leahy. His last [book], Showtime was the best book about Irish politics in years.' Dara O BriainWhen Fine Gael and Labour swept into government, in February 2011 they knew they were facing the greatest crisis in the history of the state. What confronted them was beyond their direst imaginings. Pat Leahy's The Price of Power is the riveting inside story of how they have led - and misled - Ireland. The Price of Power tells the story of trying to govern a country on the verge of ruin - the favours, the deals, the policy compromises and previously unthinkable choices that had to be made. It is a gripping tale of high drama (and high dudgeon), of betrayal, backstabbing and disillusionment, of those who rose to the challenge and those who withered under the strain. If there's one writer who can get the inside story on what's really going on at the higest levels in Irish poltiics, it's leading political journalist Pat Leahy. His account of Fianna Fáil in government, Showtime, is the considered the go-to book for anyone who wants to understand the disastrous politics led Ireland into economic meltdown. Now, with the same mix of unrivalled inside information, astute analysis and exciting writing, he lifts the lid on the coalition that is supposed to get us out of the fix.

In boom and in bust, Ireland has been led by Fianna Fáil. Showtime gets behind the party's remarkable dominance of the political landscape and leading political writer Pat Leahy, tells the gripping story of how it won, kept and has used power since the mid-1990s. Showtime is politics in the raw: the exciting, enlightening and sometimes disturbing story of a remarkable era that changed the face of modern Ireland.