We all know that there is nothing inevitable about much of Ireland's modern history. Things may have changed differently, so it is natural to wonder what would have happened if certain events had not occurred or had occurred differently.

This book asks a question: What if? This was the starting point for the Diramaid Ferriter's RTE Radio One collection on which this book is based. He looks at 20 events in Ireland in the 20th century and discusses each with two experts to predict how things would have evolved if circumstances were different.

In doing so, the programs also shed light on what actually happened; how Ireland changed during the 20th century and the experiences of those who lived through it. The big questions are addressed: What if there was no rise in 1916; if Ireland was invaded during World War II; if there were no programs for economic expansion; if Mary Robinson had not been elected President in 1990? But the book raises other less obvious questions: What if Joyce and Beckett stayed in Ireland. If the British had prevented Irish immigration in the 1950s; if there was no "late late show", or "Magell" magazine or not to disclose Ben Den; if Bishop Emune Casey had never met Annie Murphy, or John Charles McDowell Archbishop of Dublin Absolutely? 'What if?' Not only provides a glimpse of what it could have been; it is also an amusing, thoughtful, provocative and original look at some of the highlights of Irish history in the 20th century..