Fianna Fail, Irish Republicanism And the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-2005

by O'donnell, Catherine

• ISBN13: 9780716528593
• ISBN10: 0716528592
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-01
• Publisher: Irish Academic Press

Summary

"This book provides an examination of Fianna Fail's record on Northern Ireland since 1968. It outlines the party's response to the Troubles and its guiding principles in the search for the solution. Catherine O'Donnell argues that the relationship between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein is central to understanding Fianna Fail's role in the peace process, which began with the Fianna Fail-Sinn Fein talks in 1988. She investigates the implications of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement for Fianna Fail's ideology and policy on Northern Ireland and highlights the continued centrality of the relationship between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein to the peace process and politics in the Republic of Ireland. As Sinn Fein make further electoral gains in the Republic of Ireland, this book will be essential reading for anyone wishing to understand how Republicanism is a contested electoral resource within southern politics."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Catherine is Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences Government of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Humanities Institute of Ireland, University College, Dublin.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
Abbreviations	p. x
Preface	p. xiii
Introduction: The North in the South: The Irish State and Partition 1921-68	p. 1
Constructing an Orthodoxy	p. 3
Partition as a Tactical Device	p. 5
Ideological Contradictions: Sovereignty versus unity	p. 9
Seán Lemass: 'An era of radical change'?	p. 13
Jack Lynch and the Failure of Conciliation 1968-79	p. 21
Jack Lynch and the Northern Ireland Troubles	p. 22
The Arms Crisis 1970	p. 24
Unity as the Ultimate Solution: Northern Ireland policy in the Post-1970 Arms Crisis Period	p. 32
Domestic and Anglo-Irish Pressures: Understanding policy on Northern Ireland in the Post-Arms Crisis Period	p. 38
Fianna Fáil Northern Ireland Policy 1973-9	p. 42
Conclusion	p. 45
Charles J. Haughey and Sinn Féin 1979-92: Towards a consensus on partition?	p. 51
Charles Haughey and Northern Ireland Policy	p. 53
The Importance of Sinn Féin to Fianna Fáil's Northern Ireland Policy	p. 59
Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin in the Post-Anglo-Irish Agreement Period	p. 66
The 1988 Sinn Féin/Fianna Fáil Talks Initiative: Implications for the peace process	p. 69
The Principles of Consent and Self-determination	p. 74
Conclusion	p. 78
Albert Reynolds and the Northern Ireland Peace Process 1992-4	p. 87
The Political Environment	p. 88
The Reynolds Administration	p. 92
Constitutional Change Linked to the 1920 Government of Ireland Act and North-South Bodies	p. 93
Constitutional Change as part of an Overall Settlement	p. 94
Building the Pan-Nationalist Alliance	p. 95
Anglo-Irish Relations	p. 97
The Contribution of Dick Spring	p. 102
The 1993 Downing Street Declaration	p. 106
Ideological Implications of the 1993 Downing Street Declaration	p. 108
The 1994 Ceasefire	p. 110
Conclusion	p. 114
Bertie Ahern: From opposition leader to peacemaker 1994-98	p. 124
Fianna Fáil in Opposition, December 1994-June 1997	p. 125
The Framework Documents of February 1995	p. 125
The Collapse of Bi-partisanship	p. 130
Ahern as Taoiseach: Negotiations and agreement	p. 137
Issues of Contention: North-South institutions	p. 138
Issues of Contention: Articles Two and Three	p. 141
The Negotiations	p. 144
The Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement	p. 146
The May 1998 Referenda	p. 147
Unionism and the Good Friday Agreement	p. 151
Conclusion	p. 152
The Monster of the Peace Process': Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement	p. 161
A Dual Approach to Sinn Féin	p. 163
Issues of Security, Democracy and Decommissioning	p. 165
Criticisms of the Peace Process	p. 167
The 2002 General Election	p. 171
The Implications for Fianna Fáil and the Peace Process	p. 172
2005: A New Approach or the Sin-Binning of Sinn Féin?	p. 174
Conclusion	p. 183
Conclusion: Revising Republicanisms?	p. 190
Republicanisms: Fianna Fáil and the Peace Process	p. 190
The Nation	p. 193
Unionism	p. 197
Fianna Fáil, Northern Ireland, Unity and the Future of the Peace Process	p. 200
Dramatis Personae	p. 205
Chronology	p. 213
Select Bibliography	p. 221
Index	p. 235
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