IBIS NEWSLETTER

Protestantism and the union Summer 2003 IBIS CONFERENCE The first session was chaired by Issue 6 A major conference on the theme Rev Brian Kennaway, former con- Old structures, new beliefs: relig- venor, Education Committee, ion, community and politics in con- Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Contents temporary Ireland was organised with Jennifer Todd, UCD, as dis- by the Institute with the support of cussant. Diageo Ireland. The academic con- The session opened with a paper venor was Dr Claire Mitchell, Guin- by Dominic Bryan of Queen’s IBIS conference ...... 1 ness Newman Scholar in British- University Belfast, who suggested Irish Studies. The conference took Protestantism and the union . 1 that there was strong evidence that place on 15 May 2003 in the Uni- the Orange Order is in rapid de- Catholicism and the nation... 2 versity Industry Centre, UCD, and cline. He argued that the Orange brought together eight speakers Institution has failed to adapt to Alternative formulations of and an audience of about 55, religion and politics ...... 2 social, political and economic drawn from the public service, the changes. The future of religion and diplomatic corps, voluntary and politics in Ireland...... 2 other bodies, and the academic The second paper, by John community. Brewer, also of Queen’s University Lecture series...... 2 Belfast, explored current trends in The proceedings were divided into belief and practice in Ulster Protes- four sessions. Two papers were IBIS news...... 3 tantism. He concluded that there presented at each. Presentations are strong elements of continuity New working papers ...... 3 were structured to allow time for and change, but argued that Prot- discussion initiated by a pre- estant religiosity has not altered to British-Irish developments.... 4 designated discussant. the point that it constitutes secu- Chronology ...... 4

IBIS web site ...... 4

ISSN 1649-0304

Claire Mitchell, Tom Inglis and Mary Harris at the conference

view were not, she argued, incom- between the two opposing constitu- patible with an ongoing interest in tional positions. religion. Finally, Alice Feldman, UCD, Alternative formulations of explored the challenges posed by religion and politics the ethnic diversification of con- temporary Irish society for conven- The third session was chaired by tional issues of religion, community Dr Kenneth Milne, historiographer and politics. She discussed the of the Church of Ireland, with Dr nature of religious identity and its Geraldine Smyth, Irish School of relationship with ethnicity within Ecumenics, as discussant. broader cultural and political fields, The first paper, by Gladys Ganiel, and their implications for the “new” UCD, began by noting that histori- (multicultural) Ireland. cally the politics of dissent have been associated with Presbyterian LECTURE SERIES participation in the United Irish A further lecture in the series or- movement. She examined the rea- ganised in association with Co- Guinness Newman Scholar Dr Claire sons why the United Irish and al - Operation Ireland took place on 12 Mitchell chats to Pat Barry, Director, bour movements failed to tran- December 2002, and focused on Corporate Affairs, Diageo Ireland scend sectarianism, and con- the Irish government and the peace cluded with an analysis of the po- process. It was chaired by Jennifer larisation, nor are trends in religi- tential of the peace movement to Todd, UCD, and the speakers were osity weakening ethno-national do so. Albert Reynolds, former Taoiseach, and Kevin Rafter, RTÉ. identities in . The second paper, by Rev Terence McCaughey, Trinity Kevin Rafter provided an introduc- Catholicism and the nation College Dublin, noted that Irish tion to the topic by exploring the The second session was chaired Christianity, like much of Christi- role Albert Reynolds played as by Tom Inglis, UCD, with Rev Tim anity in the Northwest, has been Taoiseach during the peace proc- Bartlett, St Mary’s University Col- losing adherents at an alarming ess. He identified a number of fac- lege, Belfast, as discussant. rate and is seeking popularity and tors that had been helpful, includ- “relevance”. Religion in various This session opened with a paper ing Mr Reynolds’s commitment to forms first promoted the idea of the by Claire Mitchell, UCD, who resolving the issue, his role in ob- one-ness of humankind, and he drew attention to a common mis- taining a US visa for Gerry Adams, argued for the peculiar obligation of conception that religion in Northern and the fruitful consequences of his the faith communities to discuss Ireland is politically important only contacts with the republican the full implications of this. for Protestants, whereas for Catho- movement. He also drew attention lics the causes of conflict are so- to the central role of Fr Alex Reid The future of religion and as an intermediary linking the Dub- cial, economic and political. Her politics in Ireland paper challenged the assumption lin government with the republican of the purely social significance of The last session was chaired by leadership. John Coakley, Director of the Insti- Catholicism and urged re- Albert Reynolds reflected on his tute for British-Irish Studies, UCD, examination of how relationships time in office. On coming into of- with Stephen Mennell, UCD, as between religion and politics are fice, he had seen several factors discussant. conceived and measured for this that were conducive to progress, group. A paper by Bernadette Hayes, including a growing willingness in Mary Harris, National University of Queen’s University Belfast, and the republican movement to try a Ireland, Galway, examined nation- Ian McAllister, Australian National new strategy, the Hume-Adams alist discourse in nineteenth- University, began by noting that the talks, and a positive relationship century Ireland, which, she argued Northern Ireland conflict has tradi- with John Major and Bill Clinton. tionally been characterised as a drew on both religious and political Mr Reynolds was convinced that a sectarian conflict between two grievances. After independence, ceasefire was a prerequisite to monolithic religious communities. the Church’s involvement in formal talks, and he helped to persuade Using the 2001 Northern Ireland politics was no longer necessary, the republican movement of the Life and Times Survey, they chal- but successive governments pro- value of this by means of confi- lenged this conventional wisdom, moted Catholic values and relied dence building measures, including identifying a small but significant on the Church to address most an end to the broadcasting ban on group of religiously unattached social problems. The more recent Sinn Féin and the issue of prison- people who are more open to en- challenges to the Catholic world- ers. These resulted ultimately in dorsing a political accommodation

-2- the IRA ceasefire on August 31 and argues, using recent surveys, resources in a context of a multi- and the loyalist paramilitary cease- that while home rule has become plicity of power centres. In this re- fire six weeks later. the prevailing consensus in con- spect globalisation and the temporary Scotland, people are by changes in forms of territorial man- The former taoiseach underlined no means averse to a parliament agement in the archipelago may be his belief in the peace process and with extended powers and respon- less conducive to stability in in the agreement, stressing the sibilities. Northern Ireland than was initially strong democratic mandate it had hoped. received in the referenda, but he 25. Arthur Aughey, Territory and pointed out that its advantages had politics in Ireland and Great 27. Brigid Laffan, Ireland, Britain, not been sold vigorously in all quar- Britain after devolution Northern Ireland and the Euro- ters. He looked forward with some Simon Partridge, Implications pean dimension optimism to the agreement’s suc- of devolution for England This paper analyses the European cessful implementation. Arthur Aughey’s paper focuses dimension of British-Irish relations IBIS NEWS primarily on the experience of and the EU’s role in altering the devolution in the , environment within which relations New working papers pointing to the political need to between these islands are played The IBIS pre-publication working achieve a sense of cohesion, in out. The paper examines relations paper series is based on work in order to secure the existence of a between the two states in the con- progress. Individual papers are British identity. Simon Partridge text of EU membership and pro- available free of charge from IBIS outlines devolutionary moves within ceeds to an analysis of the evolu- (though a small charge applies to England itself, concluding that a tion of an EU role under four head- orders of several copies). All but quasi federal England could fit ings: the EU as an arena, EU poli- the last of these are based on the quite well into a broadened British- cies and reports, the EU as a proceedings of the conference Irish Council. model and the EU in Northern Ire- land. The paper then assesses the "Renovation or Revolution? New 26. Jennifer Todd, The changing EU dimension of the Good Friday territorial politics in Ireland and the structure of conflict in Northern Agreement in all three strands and United Kingdom." organised by the Ireland and the Good Friday finishes with a brief analysis of the Institute in April 2002. The most agreement recent additions are: longer-term contribution of the EU. This paper argues that until the 28. Claire Mitchell, Is religion in 23. John Osmond, Nation building: early twenty-first century the Northern Ireland politically sig- implementing devolution in the Northern Ireland conflict retained an nificant? United Kingdom—the Welsh unstable triangular form, where the experience British state was inextricably im- Reducing religion to theological This paper explores the Welsh ex- bricated in a communal conflict. By fundamentalism has stifled the de- perience of devolution through con- its very structures and modes of bate about its political significance trasting it with the Scottish experi- statecraft it reproduced the conflict in Northern Ireland. This paper de- ence. It discusses the role of a which, by its policies, it attempted velops an integrated theoretical number of key characters and to ameliorate and manage. The conception of religion as the key to agencies in redefining the nature of changed illuminating the multi-dimensional the National Assembly. The author all that. It did not resolve the con- role it plays in social relationships. also tracks the development of a flict, although it began to create the Based on analysis of interviews new civic culture in Wales, and conditions whereby this might be conducted in 2000, it finds four concludes by examining the possible. In effect, the conflict main ways in which religion is so- broader impact of the Welsh expe- moved from an unstable triangular cially and politically significant in rience of devolution on territorial to a stable symmetrical form of Northern Ireland—as a communal politics within the British Isles, and conflict management. Although the marker, as a community-builder, Welsh engagement with a network provisions of the agreement ap- as ideology and as theology. of European regions. peared to mark radical change, These roles differ amongst believ- aspects of the older form of conflict ers and non-believers, churchgoers 24. David McCrone, Marking the management returned in its imple- and non-churchgoers and amongst card: The Scottish Parliament mentation, suggesting that the tri- Catholics and Protestants. Through at 1000 days angular structure of conflict is not exploration of religion as a fluid This paper assesses the achieve- yet gone. Rather than a move to- dimension of personal and group ments and prospects of the Scot- wards stable binationalism, we identity, the paper concludes that tish parliament halfway through its may be seeing an uneven move religion does not simply mark out first term. The paper reviews the towards an unstable multi-variable the communal boundary, but often outcomes of the parliament in the form of conflict, where the commu- gives it meaning as well. context of people’s expectations, nities compete for alliances and

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Mar 29 Sinn Féin leader Gerry Ad- BRITISH-IRISH ams says he can foresee a future IBIS WEB SITE without the IRA, and that the party DEVELOPMENTS could eventually join the NI Policing The Institute’s web site contains an Board extensive links page, which contin- Chronology Apr 7 US President George W Bush ues to be a significant resource for arrives for short visit to Northern This continues the chronology last Ireland anyone working in the field of Brit- updated in Issue 5 of the Newsletter. Apr 8 President Bush, Prime Minister ish-Irish political and constitutional Blair and Taoiseach Ahern issue research. Links fall into six main 2002 joint statement in Hillsborough categories: Nov 7 Taoiseach Bertie Ahern an- calling for progress to implement nounces plan to restore the cross- agreement · Official information border Forum for Peace and Rec- Apr 12 Brian Nelson, British agent at · Political activism onciliation centre of alleged security force col- · Education Nov 21 Multiparty talks commenced lusion with loyalist paramilitary kill- · Irish political documents ers, dies of natural causes at Parliament Buildings, Stormont · Guide to periodicals Apr 13 British and Irish governments Nov 22 Fourth summit of the British- · Miscellaneous Irish Council, New Lanark, Scotland receive a statement from the IRA Nov 25 25th plenary conference Brit- setting out its position on recent de- The current and back issues of the ish-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body velopments and outlining future in- tentions IBIS Newsletter are also available opens in Manchester on the website. Nov 27 Reconvened Forum for Peace Apr 17 Further report from Sir John Stevens on his investigation into the and Reconciliation holds first Consult the site at: meeting in Dublin Castle murder of solicitor Pat Finucance in 1989 Dec 13 British and Irish governments www.ucd.ie/~ibis. complete separate meetings with Apr 23 Prime Minister Blair states parties involved in round table talks that the IRA has failed to provide a clear and unambiguous commit- ment to the peace process 2003 Apr 27 Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Ad- ams, says the IRA could disarm Jan 17 Ulster Volunteer Force and further if there is a positive re- Red Hand Commandos break off sponse to its proposals to break contact with the international de- the deadlock in the peace process commissioning body Apr 30 Sinn Féin chairman Mitchel Jan 29 Derry City Council votes in McLaughlin says the party will be favour of beginning a process answering no more questions on which would change the official the peace process name of the city from Londonderry to Derry May 1 Secretary of State Paul Murphy announces postponement of Jan 30 Main Unionist parties boycott Northern Ireland Assembly Elec- round-table talks, chaired by the tions Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Northern Secretary, at Stormont May 1 British and Irish governments publish text of joint declaration and Feb 22 Ulster Defence Association release details of proposals for announces it has begun 12 months monitoring breaches of agreement of “military inactivity”, and states that and further confidence building it will appoint a new representative measures to the international arms decom- missioning body May 6 IRA issues statement on the current impasse in the northern Mar1 unanimously re- peace process, saying that the IRA elected as leader of the Ulster Un- leadership is committed to making ionist party at the party’s annual the peace process work general meeting in Belfast May 11 Alleged identity of “Stake- Mar 4 David Trimble leaves talks at knife”, said to be a long-standing, Hillsborough Castle, aimed at re- high-level British intelligence in- storing the North’s power-sharing former in IRA, revealed in Sunday institutions, citing urgent business newspapers in London May 20 Meeting of British-Irish Inter- Mailing list Mar 7 Taoiseach says that proposals governmental Conference, London, to introduce a mechanism to im- reviews political developments Would you like to pose sanctions on parties which receive regular information on contravene the Good Friday Agree- June 17 Ulster Unionist leader David ment are fully consistent with the Trimble narrowly wins backing of IBIS activities, publications, Agreement party for proposals linked to the lectures, etc? British and Irish Governments' joint Mar 19 New District Policing Boards declaration officially launched in Belfast Send us your name, Jun 25 UUP MPs , Mar 24 26th plenary conference Brit- address and contact details David Burnside and the Reverend and we will include you ish-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body resign the party whip opens in Kilkenny at Westminster on our mailing list.