The most obvious difference between the new Leaving certificate history syllabus and the current one is the kind of historical figures described as "key personalities" in the new course.
For example, the section on the US after the second World War looks at the careers of novelist Norman Mailer and evangelist Billy Graham, while also looking at political developments.
Mailer's assaults on the political establishment and Graham's use of television to proselytise are given equal prominence, alongside the career of President Harry Truman and Senator Joe McCarthy's anti-communist witchhunts in the 1950s.
The new material assesses recent phenomena like information technology and the mass media, and emphasises taking the broadest interpretation of what constitutes "history".
The preface developed by teachers and academics stresses that history is about the total "human experience", not simply dates and political treaties. It says the new syllabus will give students "valuable insights into the roots of his or her own identity and inherited conditions".
The authors stress the importance of studying Irish history in "a broader international context" by considering a British, European and global dimension.
The experiences of the Irish community abroad between 1840 and 1966 form one topic. Their history is presented in significant detail, including trends on where people settled, their occupations and their lifestyles.
Emigration from Ireland in the 19th and 20 centuries afflicted both religious communities and this is strongly identified with sections on the Orange Order in Canada and Australia and the Holy Ghost Fathers' mission to Nigeria between 1945 and 1966.
The emigration story is brought full circle with a section on the impact of President John F. Kennedy on the Irish-American community and the people back home. This forms part of an exploration on "sustaining a sense of Irishness" among the emigrant class. Once again, names given little prominence in the old syllabus, like actress Maureen O'Hara who became an icon in Irish America for her role in The Quiet Man, are given a higher profile.
While there are changes elsewhere, much of the core of the modern Irish history section - "the pursuit of sovereignty and the impact of Partition" - remains relatively intact from the old syllabus.
The route from the Home Rule Bill of 1912 through to the Treaty negotiations is charted in detail, with key personalities such as Patrick Pearse, Eamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins looming large.
Generous space is given to society, economy, culture and religion. One of the religious case studies is the Eucharistic Congress of 1932.
The period 1870 to 1914, leading up to the fight for independence, is not seen merely as a prelude to that struggle but as an era of social and political reform in its own right. Alongside familiar figures like Parnell, Redmond and Douglas Hyde, the Irish champion of the suffragist movement, Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington, is also given prominence.
The 1913 Lockout is recognised as a seminal event in the history of the labour movement in Ireland and is used as a case study on its own.
Apart from its impressive sweep, the new syllabus recognises that the study of history must encompass the study of historical material. Consequently, 25 per cent of the marks in the Leaving Cert written exam will be awarded for a "documents-based question".
While this will be welcomed by professional historians, long frustrated by students' lack of knowledge about the sources for history, it also gives the authors another chance to broaden the scope. The documents can be visual or written and can include transcripts of radio and television interviews.
However, the teachers will not be seeking dry volumes of dreary statistics or records. It is made clear the documents "will be chosen for their intrinsic interest, accessibility and liveliness".
The new syllabus, which has undergone six redraftings, was prepared by the National Council of Curriculum and Assessment. Leaving students will begin to study it in two years' time.