Explaining Northern Ireland

Acknowledgements.Introduction: Explanations and Images. Part I: External Explanations:1. Nationalist Discourses. 2. Green Political Economy. 3. Unionist Discourses. 4. Revisionist Marxism.Part II: Internal Explanations: 5. Warring Gods: Theological Tales.6. Fiery Values: Cultural Interpretations.7. Mammon and Utility: Liberal Economic Reasonings. Part III: Synthesis and Futures: 8. No Place Apart: Comparative Political Analysis.9. Pain-killers, Panaceas and Solvents. 10. Afterword. Appendix A: The Joint Declaration for Peace (December 1993).Appendix B: Analysis of the Text of the Joint Peace Declaration. Notes. Additional References. Glossary and Terminology. Abbreviations. Name Index. Subject Index.

John McGarry is Associate Professor in the Department of History and Politics, at King's College, University of Western Ontario. Brendan O'Leary is Reader in Political Science and Public Administration in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. Their previous works include "The Future of Northern Ireland" (1990); "The Politics of Antagonism: Understanding Northern Ireland, "(1993) and, with Tom Lyne, Jim Marshall and Bob Rowthorn, " Northern Ireland: Sharing Authority. "

"The authors are experts not only on Northern Ireland but on ethnic conflict in many other countries. The comparative perspective that they bring to their treatment of Northern Ireland gives it extraordinary depth and insight. It is a stimulating analysis not only for Northern Ireland buffs, but for anyone interested in the roots of ethnic conflict - the world's number-one problem in the 1990s and probably in the twenty-first century, too." Professor Arend Lijphart, University of California, San Diego, President of the American Political Science Association (1995-6) "This is a trenchant analysis and critique of the arguments around the Northern Ireland conflict. McGarry and O'Leary slice their way through the tangle of argument, prejudice, history and propaganda which surround the issue, while avoiding the traps into which so many others have fallen. They present a merciless critique of reductionist interpretations of the Northern Ireland issue from all parts of the political spectrum, continually bringing us back to the facts on the ground. This will be essential reading for anyone wishing to understand this tangled question." Michael Keating, University of Western Ontario "In Explaining Northern Ireland McGarry and O'Leary strip away the misconceptions, dogmas, and stereotypes that have stood in the way of so many efforts to understand and resolve the fate of Northern Ireland. They demonstrate, compellingly, that both Catholoic nationalism and Protestant loyalism are real and contradictory forces, that they have never had an accurate understanding of one another, and that only by accommodating what is minimally required by both communities can peace be achieved. The authors write with wit and wisdom, showing why the conflict has been so intractable, but also explaining why the prospects for a stable and relatively just peace are now good, even if they are not certain. This is a must-read book for anyone who has despaired of peace in Ireland or who believes it is