Crossing the Border New Relationships between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

by Coakley, John; O'Dowd, Liam

• ISBN13: 9780716529217
• ISBN10: 0716529211
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-15
• Publisher: Irish Academic Press

Summary

This timely book provides the first sustained examination of cross-border relationships since the momentous sequence of events that began with the Good Friday agreement of 1998. It looks at changing patterns of North-South relations in three broad domains: politics and public administration, the economy, and civil society. Specific topics covered include the cross-border implementation bodies, the island economy, the voluntary sector, education, health, planning, public policy, and the EU. The book draws on findings from a two-year research project embracing a large, multi-disciplinary team based in Dublin, Belfast, Dundalk, and Armagh. The book also sets recent changes in perspective, outlining the evolution of cross-border relationships between partition in 1920 and the recent comprehensive settlement, and exploring the extent to which leaders North and South remained in denial about the evolving impact and implications of the border until the closing decades of the 20th century. The authors demonstrate how the search for a settlement in Northern Ireland has created a new dynamic in cross-border relationships, underlining the critical importance of these relationships in sustaining the peace process. In a trenchant assessment of future prospects, the book stresses the extent to which new North-South relationships have been dependent on external funding from the EU and the US. It argues that the diminution of these funds potentially threatens the sustainability of successful cross-border programs, putting the onus on the two governments to develop a more coherent and strategic approach to cross-border co-operation.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The 'new' Irish border: changing political, economic and social dimensions	p. 3
Parameters of the North-South relationship	p. 29
Institutional cooperation: the North-South implementation bodies	p. 31
The island economy: Ireland before and after the Belfast agreement	p. 61
Civil society: the permeability of the North-South border	p. 87
Public policy: the EU and the Good Friday agreement	p. 104
The voluntary sector: promoting peace and cooperation	p. 125
Case studies in the North-South relationship	p. 153
Cooperative projects: the education sector	p. 155
Institutional cooperation: the health sector	p. 183
Economic development: the textile and information technology sectors	p. 201
Competitive sports: the territorial politics of Irish cycling	p. 227
Public policy cooperation: the 'common chapter' - shadow or substance?	p. 245
Sustaining cooperation? The public, private and civil society sectors	p. 263
Conclusion	p. 289
The Irish border in the twenty-first century	p. 291
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