At the turn of the 20th century, Irish nationalists sought to devise a unique Irish identity that could be used to justify Ireland’s independence from Britain. Unlike other countries in Western Europe, in Ireland the Catholic Church played a major role in shaping the national identity; Catholic and Irish became interchangeable. Stephen Hero demonstrates how the Catholic Church supported the Gaelic Revival, a nationalist movement. The nationalist movement and the Catholic Church contributed to maintaining the unique identity of Irish people in a mutually supportive relationship. Joyce criticizes the Catholic Church’s participation in the nationalist movement, noting that ”it ruins the chances of revolutions.” Because the Irish Catholic Church designed Ireland’s political future in the interests of the Church, the aspirations of the Irish people were often ignored. As Joyce says after independence in Ireland, “there is less freedom,” nationalism combined with religion does not bring true liberation. The Irish case shows that we need to find a more inclusive, more transcendental basis to define the nation than religion.