This book is the first in-depth analysis of the interaction between the British and Irish governments and the role they have played in seeking to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland since 1980.

Eamonn O Kane examines Britain and Ireland s objectives in relation to the Northern Ireland conflict, focusing on the influential factors that persuaded these two governments to co-operate at a closer level and those which made this co-operation difficult to achieve and at times sustain. Drawing on extensive primary research, including interviews with leading British and Irish politicians and civil servants, the book questions many of the most widely accepted arguments regarding the conflict. It sheds new light upon the objectives of the two states in Northern Ireland, the origins of the peace process, the reasons that the conflict appeared so intractable and the role of the international dimension. The book places events in context and offers a more convincing explanation for many of the advances and disappointments in Northern Ireland in recent years than is currently available.

This volume offers a reinterpretation of the intergovernmental approach to the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process and is an invaluable resource for students and researchers of British politics, Irish studies and conflict studies.

This book is the first in-depth analysis of the interaction between the British and Irish governments and the role they have played in seeking to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland since 1980. Eamonn O'Kane examines Britain and Ireland's objectives in relation to the Northern Ireland conflict, focusing on the influential factors that persuaded these two governments to co-operate at a closer level and those which made this co-operation difficult to achieve and at times sustain. Drawing on extensive primary research, including interviews with leading British and Irish politicians and civil servants, the book questions many of the most widely accepted arguments regarding the conflict. It sheds new light upon the objectives of the two states in Northern Ireland, the origins of the peace process, the reasons that the conflict appeared so intractable and the role of the international dimension. The book places events in context and offers a more convincing explanation for many of the advances and disappointments in Northern Ireland in recent years than is currently available. This volume offers a reinterpretation of the intergovernmental approach to the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process and is an invaluable resource for students and researchers of British politics, Irish studies and conflict studies.

This book offers a re-evaluation of the emergence, development and outcome of the peace process in Northern Ireland. Drawing on interviews with many of the key participants of the peace process, newly released archival material and the existing scholarship on the conflict, it explains the decisions that shaped the peace process in their proper context. O'Kane argues that although the outcome of the process can be seen as a success, it is not the outcome that was originally expected or intended by most of its participants. By tracing the process and highlighting the pragmatic decisions of the parties that shaped it the work explains how Northern Ireland moved from conflict to peace. The book concludes by examining what the implications of Brexit are for Northern Ireland's hard-won peace and political stability. -- .

The conflict in Northern Ireland since 1969 has cost over 3,600 lives and about 100,000 people in Northern Ireland live in a household where someone has been injured in a troubles-related incident. This has been a key issue in British and Irish politics and the recent peace process in Northern Ireland and the current 'War on Terrorism' has stimulated international involvement and a desire to 'learn the lessons' of 'the troubles'.

Although Northern Ireland has a population of just 1.5 million people it is one of the most researched territories of the world. There is considerable controversy over the interpretation of the history of Northern Ireland, not least since 1969. This new addition to the Seminar Studies in History Series provides a comprehensive introduction to the difficult topic, reviewing different perspectives on the recent history of the conflict in Northern Ireland while at the same time providing an authoritative overview.

Each book in the "Seminar Studies in History" series provides a concise and reliable introduction to complex events and debates. Written by acknowledged experts and supported by extracts from historical Documents, a Chronology, Glossary, Who's Who of key figures and Guide to Further Reading, "Seminar Studies in History" are the essential guides to understanding a topic.