Oxford Irish Quotations is a collection of over 2,000 quotations, arranged thematically, that offers a lively reflection of Irish history and culture, with particular emphasis on contemporary issues and interests. The quotations have been chosen because they say something about Ireland or the Irish, or are associated with a specifically Irish context, rather than simply being said or written by an Irish person. Included here is Oscar Wilde's prescription, "If one could teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized," Tom MacDonagh's assessment of Dublin as "a state of mind as much as a city," and James Joyce's humble declaration, "The demand I make on my reader, is that he should devote his whole LIFE to reading my works." The collection contains many well-known Irish figures, and encompasses voices of differing cultural origins including Celtic, Norman, Plantation, Scots Presbyterian, and Anglo-Irish.