The publication of "The Commitments", "The Snapper" and "The Van" signalled the emergence of a significant new voice in Irish fiction. This book traces the genesis and impact of the change in Ireland's fortunes on the work of Doyle, Parker and Frears and shows how the increasing de-differentiation of boundaries between economy and culture meant that a body of literary and cinematographic work like the Trilogy was as much a contributory factor to the contemporary transformation of Ireland as a reflection of it.