This essay aims at exploring Bram Stoker's interest in the conditions of Ireland, where he was born in 1847 and where he spent almost half of his life. He spoke and wrote about it more than once over the decades, showing not only his interest in this field but also that he foresaw a bright future for his homeland. At the same time, he repeatedly put forth his proposal for the development of a small nation, either hiding behind a fictional country of his own invention or calling it openly

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... . The main source for this brief analysis is The Lady of the Shroud, one of his last novels. Reference is also made to his first novel, The Snake's Pass, and to two articles and an address he gave in public while still at university. Key Words. Bram Stoker, Lady of the Shroud, The Snake's Pass, Ireland's progress. Resumen. Este ensayo tiene por objeto examinar el interés de Bram Stoker en la situación de Irlanda, donde había nacido en 1847 y donde pasó casi la mitad de su vida. Habló y escribió sobre el tema más de una vez durante décadas, mostrando no sólo su interés en este campo, sino que también previó un futuro brillante para su tierra natal. Al mismo tiempo, en varias ocasiones hizo propuestas para el desarrollo de una pequeña nación, ya sea en forma de un país ficticio de su propia invención o llamándola explicitamente Irlanda. La principal fuente para este breve análisis es The Lady of the Shroud, una de sus últimas novelas, aunque también se hace referencia a su primera novela, The Snake's Pass, y a dos artículos y un discurso público que hizo cuando aún estaba en la universidad. Palabras clave. Bram Stoker, Lady of the Shroud, The Snake's Pass, progreso de Irlanda. Manuel Cadeddu has recently completed his PhD dissertation on Bram Stoker's Irishness at the University of Cagliari (Sardinia). It focused on aspects like Stoker's use of tradition, his politics and his ideas for the development of his country of birth. Stoker's works were analysed in the light of confirmed biographical information and with the support of personal journals and notes. Manuel has also done research on George Orwell and Anthony Burgess and is currently teaching in the Italian state school.