Book recommendations

Could anyone recommend a good book on the period from the foundation of the state to the start of the second world war.

I am particularly interested in the change from the colonial administration of the civil services to a wholly Irish civil services, with its emphases on speaking Irish and nationalism, how the culture of the GAA became intertwined with an almost Xenophobia nationalism and how cultural ideas around the idea of Irishness equalled a rural, Irish speaking, pious people.

A book that covers both politics and sociology.

Arsemageddon

A New History of Ireland - Volume VII covers most of the topics you mentioned. It's been republished in paperback in the last few years and will cost about €50. A lot of bigger libraries also have the full series. Table of contents are at the link below..

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/academic/series/history/nhi/9780199592821.do

Here's a link for downloadable book about the history of the civil service from 1912-38, it's from Manchester University Press so I presume it's of a decent standard, but I haven't read it.

http://eprints.dkit.ie/84/

That the first book sound good but maybe a bit too academic I will ask in the library for it.