Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Chapter 1 A personal perspective
- Chapter 2 The British dimension: union, devolution and direct rule
- Chapter 3 The British dimension: direct rule to the UWC strike
- Chapter 4 The British dimension: from the collapse of power-sharing to the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985
- Chapter 5 The British dimension: the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 to the Good Friday Agreement
- Chapter 6 The Irish dimension
- Chapter 7 The politics of Northern Ireland
- Chapter 8 End-game or limbo?
- Select bibliography
- Index
Chapter 6 - The Irish dimension
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Chapter 1 A personal perspective
- Chapter 2 The British dimension: union, devolution and direct rule
- Chapter 3 The British dimension: direct rule to the UWC strike
- Chapter 4 The British dimension: from the collapse of power-sharing to the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985
- Chapter 5 The British dimension: the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 to the Good Friday Agreement
- Chapter 6 The Irish dimension
- Chapter 7 The politics of Northern Ireland
- Chapter 8 End-game or limbo?
- Select bibliography
- Index
Summary
I now turn to examine other significant influences upon events in Northern Ireland, beginning with the role of Irish parties, Governments and interests before moving on to the record of the domestic Northern Ireland institutions and communities. If the reader finds the chapters which follow relatively brief compared with the very comprehensive examination of British policy and behaviour, it is because many of the events already described involved other participants or ‘players’, and in discussing the interaction of Britain with others involved, much of the relevant ground has already been covered. As far as possible, I am determined to avoid tedious repetition. My objective, however, will be the same as in my analysis of the British role. To paraphrase the wording of the Book of Common Prayer, I shall seek to identify occasions when the Irish have left undone things which they ought to have done, or done things that they ought not to have done.
One must begin by emphasising the very close relationship which developed between the infant Irish state and the Roman Catholic Church. There had not always been such a close affinity between the Church and Irish nationalism, or such reliance by nationalism upon the support of Catholic adherents. It is important to note that powerful Church interests had been favourably disposed to the Union (albeit on the mistaken assumption that Catholic emancipation would rapidly follow).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Tragedy of ErrorsThe Government and Misgovernment of Northern Ireland, pp. 112 - 149Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2007