My Goodness, My Heritage1! Constructing Good Heritage in the Irish Economic Crisis

In 2008, the Republic of Ireland entered a severe financial crisis partly as a part of the global economic crisis. Since then, it has seen large raises in income taxes and cuts in state spending on health, welfare, education and on heritage, which has suffered relatively large cuts. This implies a need for rethinking choices and prior-itisations to cope with the changing circumstances. Across Europe, the effects of the crisis on heritage, or the whole cultural sector, have yet mostly been highlight-ed in general or supposed terms rather than empirically analysed. But what actual-ly happens to how heritage is conceptualised in times of crisis? Inspired by Criti-cal Discourse Analysis, this paper explores representation of and argumentation for heritage in Irish state heritage policies pre and post the recession 2008. Much concerns regarding heritage management are discursively shaped. Policies, stating the authorised viewpoint, are thus key in the construction of heritage and its val-ues in society. Recently, research has highlighted a shift towards more instrumen-tality in cultural policy due to wider societal changes. A crisis could influenc