This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the community and voluntary sector participation in social partnership and explores the gap in Irish social science research. It also explores the unique and problematic entity known as the Community and Voluntary Pillar (CVP, the Pillar), which brought a range of new actors into a tripartite system of social partnership in Ireland from 1996. The book also examines the theoretical level, mainstream interpretations of Irish social partnership, and their limitations in relation to understanding the CVP. It provides an account of the Pillar as a whole, its origins and component organisations, and its broad evolution over time. The book discusses a fresh perspective and broader basis for understanding some of the unique properties of the Pillar. It describes the use of a case study methodology.