Political scientist James Waller examines the impact of the GFA on Northern Irish society in A Troubled Sleep, but does not spend time focusing on the political machinations that have occurred since 1998.
A Troubled Sleep: Risk and Resilience in Contemporary Northern Ireland, by James Waller. Since the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was signed in 1998, Northern Ireland has disappeared from the front pages of newspapers. Though not perfect—what agreement is?—the GFA has brought an end to widespread violence in Northern Ireland. An entire generation has grown up in relative peace and prosperity.
Political scientist James Waller examines the impact of the GFA on Northern Irish society in A Troubled Sleep, but does not spend time focusing on the political machinations that have occurred since 1998. He provides enough background so the general reader can understand politics in Northern Ireland, but his overall focus is broader. In a nutshell, Waller argues that the GFA has halted the violence, but not brought Northern Ireland closer to a true reconciliation and integrated society.
Indeed, he argues that some features of the GFA may have inadvertently institutionalized the divide between the Unionists (largely Protestants), who want to remain in the United Kingdom and Republicans (largely Catholic), who want to join the Irish republic. For example, Waller points to the requirement that the executive (essentially the prime minister) be jointly held by a Unionist and a Republican. Waller quite correctly points out that that peace in Northern Ireland is a fragile thing, currently threatened by recent developments, including Brexit.
Drawing on his experience with several other societies, Waller argues that is very easy for society to slip back into conflict. My only real criticism of Waller’s work is that he is minimizing the positive impact of the GFA. The individuals on all sides who produced the agreement did not solve a centuries-old conflict, but they did stop the killing. This is no small accomplishment.
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