Northern Ireland: The Choice

The book shows with stark clarity the extent to which Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland tend to live, to study, to work and to play apart. But it also shows that many parents want their children to go to shared schools, despite some church opposition, and that opinion polls indicate a higher level of willingness to compromise than is shown by elected political leaders. Should the British and Irish governments commit themselves to encouraging greater contact between the communities and seek to build a settlement on the middle ground? Or should they reluctantly accept a policy of communal separation and provide structures that allow Catholics and Protestants to govern themselves with minimal need for contact and co-operation?