A New Form of Beauty: Irish postpunk and the liberalization of Ireland, 1977-1991, Kenneth Shonk
This paper explores the possibility that the groundwork for the current liberalization of Ireland was rooted in the cultural and social transgressions visible in an artistic and musical scene known now as postpunk—an evolution of punk rock that articulated a bleak world view set to music that consciously pushed the boundaries of heteronormativity and western musical tenets. Such was evident in Ireland’s idiosyncratic postpunk scene that feature such bands as the Virgin Prunes, U2, and the Atrix, among others.
Respondent: Matthew O'Brien, Franciscan University