Here, John Gibney has edited a ranged a articles from leading voice in their field to bring a comprehensive and engaging account of the Irish men and women who have established a presence across the world.

Ireland is known worldwide as a country that produced emigrants. The existence of the Irish 'diaspora' is the subject of this fifth installment of the 'Irish perspectives' collaboration between Pen and Sword and History Ireland. From the early Christian era Irish missionaries traveled across Europe, from the early modern period Irish soldiers served across the world in various European armies and empires, and in the modern era Ireland's position on the edge of the Atlantic made Irish emigrants amongst the most visible migrants in an era of mass migration. Ranging from Europe to Africa to the Americas and Australia, this anthology explores the lives and experiences of Irish educators, missionaries, soldiers, insurgents, from those who simply sought a better life overseas to those with little choice in the matter, and who established an Irish presence across the globe as they did so.