A Political History of the Two Irelands

This ground-breaking political history of the two states in Ireland provides unique new insights into the 'Troubles' and the peace process. It examines the impact of the fraught dynamics between the competing ... Les mer

A Political History of the Two Irelands

This ground-breaking political history of the two states in Ireland provides unique new insights into the 'Troubles' and the peace process. It examines the impact of the fraught dynamics between the competing identities of the Nationalist-Catholic-Irish community on the one hand and the Unionist-Protestant-British community on the other. Brian Walker provides a new understanding of the outbreak of the 'Troubles' in 1969 and the subsequent peace process. He argues that exclusive and confrontational ideas of identity developed in the north and south of Ireland after 1921, which helped to lead to the outbreak of violence nearly fifty years later. The rise of more pluralist and conciliatory views of identity has greatly assisted the recent move to accommodation and relative peace. In an innovative approach, Walker examines the role of commemorations and the influence of 'history.' Recent developments such as the successful establishment of the power-sharing executive in Belfast are covered as is the recent visit of Queen Elizabeth to Dublin.

Introduction PART I Action and Reaction: Majority Identities, 1921-60 Parallel Universes: Minority Identities, 1921-60 Remembering and Forgetting: Commemorations and Identity, 1921-60 PART II Conflict and Conciliation: Identities and Change, 1960-2010 Remembering and Reclaiming: Commemorations and Identity, 1960-2010 The Past and the Present: History, Identity and the Peace Process Conclusion Endnotes Bibliography

BRIAN M. WALKER Professor of Irish Studiesat theSchool of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, Queen's University Belfast, UK. He is a former director of the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen's. His publications include a number of books on Irish elections and politics, such as Dancing to History's Tune: History, Myth and Politics in Ireland. Lukk