Contributor:

Professor Lord Bew

Talk Title:

Home Rule and the Ulster Crisis

Talk Synopsis:

This talk explores the historic failure of the ‘union concept’ for most Irish people, but also its popularity in the north east. It describes the background to Partition, its social and economic context, and the role played by key political figures. And it concludes with an assessment of community relations at the time of Northern Ireland’s establishment (and afterwards), and a reminder that its future remains as unpredictable as the past 100 years have been.

Short Biography:

The Lord Bew (Paul) is Emeritus Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast and serves as a Crossbench Life Peer, currently as Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. He is the independent chair of the Centenary Historical Advisory Panel.

Further Reading:

Northern Ireland 1921-2001: Political Power and Social Classes - Paul Bew, Peter Gibbon and Henry Patterson