Reconciling Ireland : Fifty Years of British?Irish Agreements

Reconciling Ireland is a unique guide to the history of the last half-century, compiling as it does all the texts of the key British-Irish agreements relating to Northern Ireland for the first time.

These forty documents, presented alongside expert analysis by author and Irish High Court Judge Richard Humphreys, chart the evolution of the principles of the peace process and political process from its inception right up to the present day, from the Sunningdale Agreement of 1973 to the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and the New Decade New Approach of 2020 that resolved the Stormont stalemate.

This definitive collection demonstrates the tremendous progress made towards peace, despite huge obstacles, and gives grounds for optimism for the future. Given the huge challenge to British–Irish relationships caused by Brexit and the increased debate on Irish unity, Reconciling Ireland will be an invaluable reference work for legal and political engagement for generations to come. 

Richard Humphreys is a Judge of the Irish High Court. He is a graduate of UCD and the King’s Inns and holds a PhD in Law from Trinity College Dublin. As a government adviser in 1996 he attended the launch of All-Party negotiations in Stormont that ultimately led to the Good Friday Agreement. From 1997 to 2015 he was a practising barrister and in October 2015 was appointed to the High Court. He has lectured in law full-time in UCD and UCC, and part-time in TCD and NUI Galway. This is his fourth book. He has also authored numerous articles in academic journals and general publications.