The Representation of the Celtic Tiger Ireland in John Boorman's The Tiger's Tail and Elizabeth Gill's Goldfish Memory

Abstract

Due to economic developments, Ireland was often compared to the East Asian ‘tigers’. Hence, the name Ireland was addressed with, at around the turn of the 21th century: the Celtic Tiger. The Celtic Tiger period in Ireland meant a huge economic growth and globalisation process through which the country became the exact opposite of its own self in a significantly short time. We can observe the huge contrast between the colonial state and the present one of the Irish, through literary works, music, and films. As Goldfish Memory (2003) by Elizabeth Gill, and The Tiger’s Tail (2006) by John Boorman seem to be suitable films to express these contrasts and the current image of Ireland, I am going to examine Celtic Tiger Ireland and Irishness through them.