THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT AS A FRAMEWORK: THE FUTURE OF PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Date
2017-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement effectively put an end to decades of
violence in Northern Ireland, a period known as “the Troubles.” Despite the levels of
violence between the two main groups in Northern Ireland—groups divided along
lines of heritage, religion, and political views— and the tensions that still exist today,
the Good Friday Agreement succeeded. The Agreement has been lauded in the
decades since for this accomplishment; however, it may not be the solution that it is
often characterized as by its supporters. Rather, it is a framework for a solution,
insofar as it requires other agreements, institutions, and legislation. Lawmakers
recognized this immediately, and consequently set about crafting the legislation that
the Agreement suggested. Unfortunately, as violence waned and major tenets of the
Agreement were satisfied, effort to supplement the Agreement dropped off. This thesis
first examines the Agreement to determine what makes it a framework rather than a
solution, which sets the stage for two more questions: what supplements have fallen
by the wayside, and what are the consequences of this? I hypothesized that the
consequences for abandoning supplements would be more disastrous than many would
guess, and may even set the stage for a resurgence of the Troubles, particularly in light
of the British departure from the European Union. Overall, I found that Northern Irish
peace is indeed fragile in a way that additional supplements to the Agreement could
have prevented. Additionally, with the recent Brexit, the fragility of peace could spell
disaster. Despite this, because the relationship between Northern Ireland, the Republic
of Ireland, and Great Britain is no longer as aggressive as it was in the twentieth
century, it is unlikely that the Troubles will return to the same extent. However, as I
hope to show, continuing the supplements would certainly limit crises in the future.
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Keywords
International Relations, Ireland, peace, Good Friday Agreement