Peace at Last : The Impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland

Spanning more than thirty years, and costing over 3000 lives, the conflict in Northern Ireland has been one of the most protracted ethnic conflicts in Western Europe. After several failed attempts to resolve the fundamental differences over national belonging between the two communities in Northern Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 seemed to offer the long awaited chance of sustainable peace and reconciliation.

By looking at the various dimensions and dynamics of post conflict peace-building in the political system, the economy, and society of this deeply divided society, the contributors to this volume offer a comprehensive analysis of Northern Irish politics and society in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement and conclude that this is probably the best chance for a stable and long-term peace that Northern Ireland has had but that the difficulties that still lie ahead must not be underestimated.

Jörg Neuheiser studied History and English at the University of Cologne and Trinity College Dublin. He is currently editor of Ethnos.

Stefan Wolff was educated at the University of Leipzig, Germany. He received an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the London School of Economics. He is currently Chair in Political Science at the University of Nottingham.