Crossing the Border : New Relationships Between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

This timely book provides the first sustained examination of cross-border relationships since the momentous sequence ofevents that began with the Good Friday agreement of 1998. It looks at changing patterns of North-South relations inthree broad domains: politics and public administration, the economy, and civil society. Specific topics covered includethe cross-border implementation bodies, the island economy, the voluntary sector, education, health, planning, publicpolicy and the EU. The book draws on findings from a two-year research project embracing a large, multi-disciplinaryteam based in Dublin, Belfast, Dundalk and Armagh. The book also sets recent changes in perspective, outlining theevolution of cross-border relationships between partition in 1920 and the recent comprehensive settlement, andexploring the extent to which leaders North and South remained in denial about the evolving impact and implications of the border until the closing decades of the 20th century. The authors demonstrate how the search for a settlement inNorthern Ireland has created a new dynamic in cross-border relationships, underlining the critical importance of theserelationships in sustaining the peace process. In a trenchant assessment of future prospects, the book stresses the extentto which new North-South relationships have been dependent on external funding from the EU and the USA. It argues that the diminution of these funds potentially threatens the sustainability of successful cross-border programmes, putting the onus on the two governments to develop a more coherent and strategic approach to cross-border co-operation. Crossing the border is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the island of Ireland in the twenty first century, for all those actively committed to consolidating peace in the island, and, in particular, for the wide range of policy makers and activists seeking to forge a new andmutually beneficial relationship between the two Irelands.Coakley, John is the author of 'Crossing the Border : New Relationships Between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland', published 2007 under ISBN 9780716529217 and ISBN 0716529211.