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Contributor:

Dr Margaret O鈥機allaghan

Talk Title:

Acts of partition: from the Government of Ireland Act 1920 to the Boundary Commission, 1925.

Talk Synopsis:

This talk describes Partition as 鈥榓n instrument of policy that marked the [UK] government鈥檚 failure in the wider problem of governing Ireland鈥�. It suggests that the Government of Ireland Act was 鈥榓 landmark in the genealogy of partitions鈥� and sets out its immediate background and effects. And it argues that the partition of Ireland 鈥榳as not an act, but a process鈥� that 鈥榟appened in stages鈥�. It details the sectarian tensions and violence of this period, the Treaty negotiations of 1921 and James Craig鈥檚 role as Prime Minister, including his interactions with politicians in London and Dublin. It also identifies key questions about what happened and suggests that whilst the 鈥楤oundary Commission would end the partition process鈥� in 1925, James Craig spent much of his time until then 鈥榗onsumed鈥� with 鈥榮ecurity and the campaign to resist鈥� the effect which the Commission might have in placing 鈥榟is whole entity in jeopardy鈥�.

Short Biography:
Dr Margaret O鈥� Callaghan is an historian and political analyst at the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen鈥檚 University, Belfast.

Further Reading:

Old Parchment and Water; the Boundary Commission of 1925 and the Copperfastening of the Irish Border. Bullan; an Irish Studies Journal , Volume IV, Number 2, 2000, pp 27-55 鈥� Margaret O鈥� Callaghan
Genealogies of Partition; History, History鈥怶riting and 鈥榯he Troubles鈥� in Ireland. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 9:4, 619-634 鈥� Margaret O'Callaghan
The Evolution and Entrenchment of the Irish Border, 1911-1926: A political geography 鈥� Kieran Rankin
Fatal Path: British Government and the Irish Revolution 1910-1922 鈥� Ronan Fanning
The Unresolved Question: The Anglo-Irish Settlement and its Undoing 1912-72 鈥� Nicholas Mansergh
Fatal Influence: the Impact of Ireland on British Politics 鈥� Kevin Matthews

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