Suchergebnisse

This contribution to the theme of 'Scotland and the Two Irelands' looks to the relationships within these islands, east and west as well as north and south, with particular reference to Scotland and Northern Ireland. It looks to the more pluralistic circumstances and ideas of the 1990s – not least as personified in the landmark work of Bernard Crick - and considers whether revisiting these would offer new possibilities in managing relationships across these islands.

A series of developments during the 2010–11 football season has led to an intense public debate over the question of the nature and extent of religious sectarianism in Scotland. The Scottish National Party (SNP) government has responded with a new piece of legislation which has been widely criticised and has prompted some commentators to speculate about a political 'own goal'. This article provides a guide to the debate around sectarianism and its historical and political dimensions. It also suggests that the Irish roots of the problem in Scotland should be properly acknowledged, and that a possible way forward could involve cooperation between Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland within the structures and procedures of the British–Irish Council (BIC).