The real Ireland is the first full-length study of Irish documentary film, but more than that, it is a study of Ireland itself - of how the idea of Ireland evolved throughout the twentieth century and how documentary cinema both recorded and participated in the process of change. Not just a film studies text, this book is a discussion of history, politics and culture, which also explores the philosophical roots of the documentary idea, and how this idea informs concepts of society, self and nation. It features rare and previously unseen illustrations and a detailed documentary filmography, the first of its kind in print anywhere.It will appeal to students of documentary practice, as well as to cultural and social historians.