Historical Dictionary of the Northern Ireland Conflict (Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest) - Hardcover

Gillespie, Gordon

9780810855830: Historical Dictionary of the Northern Ireland Conflict (Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810855836 ISBN 13: 9780810855830

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2007

For nearly four decades the conflict in Ireland has embittered relations between the communities living there and spoiled relations between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. For three decades it escalated, punctuated by periodic bloody clashes followed by somewhat calmer periods of tension during which violence of all sorts―robberies, kidnappings, serious injuries and deaths―were all too common. During the past decade, fortunately, all sides have realized that armed solutions were unlikely to bring a solution to anyone's problems and that peace should be given a chance. Fortunately, with the establishment of a new Northern Ireland Executive, there is a general acceptance that the conflict is now part of the past.

The Historical Dictionary of the Northern Ireland Conflict covers the history of "the Troubles" through a chronology covering the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process from 1968 until the formation of the new Northern Ireland Executive in May 2007, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on main events, individuals, and organizations. Researchers with an interest in the Northern Ireland conflict will find this book to be an essential addition to their collection of reference books on the subject.

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About the Author:

Gordon Gillespie was born in Belfast and has lived in Northern Ireland throughout the course of the Troubles and Peace Process. He is currently a visiting research fellow in the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University, Belfast.

From Booklist:

With this work, part of Scarecrow Press’ Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest series, Gillespie (Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University, Belfast) provides a superbly comprehensive dictionary indispensable for those referencing the decades-long Northern Ireland conflict. The success of devolution and the creation of a power-sharing government at Stormount on May 8, 2007, seem to have finally ended hostilities and brought lasting rapprochement between the diverse sectarian and political interests. A well-detailed chronology, listing 514 events, covers the conflict from the formation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, in 1967, to the end of British military support, in 2007. A concise seven-page introduction “sketches the overall context” of “the Troubles.” Approximately 282 balanced and explicative entries ranging from 100 to 1,200 words (most are 200–400 words) detail important figures, organizations, parties, paramilitary groups, legal institutions, events, and issues. A solid bibliography lists significant sources, from reference and general histories to feature films and Web sites. Though extensively cross-referenced, the dictionary can be a burden for the novice or undergraduate due to its lack of an index and the failure to provide separate entries for a number of acronyms. Nonetheless, Gillespie’s dictionary successfully draws from several older references, such as Interpreting Northern Ireland (Oxford, 1991), Northern Ireland: A Political Directory, 1968–1999 (Blackstaff, 1999), and Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1999 (Macmillan, 1999). Currently, it is the most up-to-date A–Z resource on the Northern Ireland conflict; recommended for all academic libraries and other libraries with this collection need. --Charles Becker

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