Irish Politics Today

Fully revised and updated, this third edition is a comprehensive introduction to the politics of Ireland. It includes coverage of the 1992 general election, the fall of the Fianna Fail/Labour coalition in 1994 and the creation of a new coalition in December of that year. The authors argue that Ireland's political system must be seen in the context of the country's recent political and economic history. They examine the implications of a written constitution, changes in the party system, the power of major interest groups, including the Catholic Church, the role of the civil service, the position of the media and membership of the European Union. They also place the Republic in its relationships with Britain and the United States. Northern Ireland is discussed in a separate chapter which also covers the most recent developments in the "peace process".