Settlement and civil war -- Political and economic evolution: North and South -- From de Valera to the Republic -- Post-war Ireland -- O'Neill and the rise of the civil rights campaign -- The Troubles begin -- Northern Ireland in crisis -- From the Anglo-Irish Agreement to the Good Friday Agreement -- Reflections and conclusion
Summary
Ireland in Conflict, 1922-1998 sets out the main political, economic and social developments in Ireland, north and south of the border, since the 1922 treaty. This book explains the troubles in their context and examines the underlying tensions which led to prolonged violence after a period of relative civil peace and rising prosperity. Ireland in Conflict discusses: * the Civil War, its legacy for Irish politics and the Boundary Commission * the IRA, Orange Order and the Unionist party * the role of the Catholic Church and the Protestant minority * escalation of violence in the 1970s including Bloody Sunday and the hunger strikes ; * the Anglo-Irish agreement, the cease-fire and the hope for a peaceful solution