'Magners Man: Irish Cider, Representations of Masculinity and the 'Burning Celtic Soul'

In this paper we go in search of the Celtic soul, tracking its historical intertwining with, and relation to, Irish masculinity, from Ireland's pre-colonial past to its colonial days and finallly to its postcolonial present. We argue that the Celtic soul manifests itself, with great success, in the Magners Irish Cider advertising campaign. We also illustrate how representations of the Irish Celt serve as a means of enabling young male consumers to reconcile the many tensions and contradictions they are experiencing over what it means to perform ideals of masculinity in contemporary Western culture. Magners Irish Cider is a fitting exemplar of how the 'Celtic Soul' is embedded in ideals of Irish masculinity, as it represents and celebrates a myth of mastery over nature that is both alluring and enduring in our culture.