The Good Friday Agreement (1998) between the UK and Irish governments, and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland, heralded a significant step forward in securing peace and stability for this troubled region of the British Isles. From the new-found stability, the previous fits and starts of education reform were replaced by a…

This article explores policy and practice in relation to support for speakers of community languages in Northern Ireland primary schools against the backdrop of the broader UK context, with reference also to the Republic of Ireland and wider European and international experiences. After an initial discussion of the educational, social and…

We provide a test of the thesis that Protestantism influenced the development of modern capitalism by using quantitative data from 1500 through 1870. Results show that during this period the percentage of a country's population that is Protestant is unrelated to both its level of per capita GDP and the average rate of its annual growth in per…

Education for Irish women and girls developed significantly in the period 1830-1910. During this time, formal state-funded education systems were established in Ireland by the British government. Some of these systems included females from their inception and some attempted to exclude girls and women. This article charts the opening up of formal…

This examination of nation-building in Ireland portrays a successful example of an enclave people who first developed a consciousness of nationhood and then acquired statehood. Both processes were problematic. Factors which influenced this transformation are the following: (1) the definition of Irishness; (2) language; (3) religion; (4) history;…

Examines tensions and divisions that formed the educational legacy of the two states in Ireland that emerged from the political settlements of 1920-21. Concludes that, on the eve of partition in 1921, deep divisions in education were reminders that education would continue to expose ideological differences between Ireland and Britain. (CFR)