Behind the Headlines | The Future of Northern Ireland

Thursday, 15 April 2021, 7 – 8:30pm The years since 1998 have seen a major decline in violence in Northern Ireland, continued growth in North-South co-operation, the expansion of mixed religion workplaces and significant economic recovery. Despite this, media, academic and public attention is currently consumed by headlines around the NI Protocol and the tensions within the British-Irish relationship. In this ‘Behind the Headlines’ event on Northern Ireland, we explore the strong and growing incentives within the pro-union community that look towards interdependence: the building of better connections and partnerships, both North-South and East-West, and an improved environment for health, economy, society and culture across the island. The panel, comprising prominent representatives from pro-union/pro-NI backgrounds as well as Dublin-based speakers with different perspectives, will address these longer-term prospects and challenge some of the perceptions that continue to impede the further development of positive all-island relationships. Speakers: Dr Etain Tannam is Associate Professor in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. Dr Tannam’s main area of expertise is British-Irish cooperation and Irish/Northern cross-border cooperation, with emphasis on Brexit’s impact. Professor Pete Shirlow is Director at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Irish Studies. Professor Shirlow was formerly the Deputy Director of the Institute for Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, QUB. Ms Claire Sugden is an Independent unionist Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for East Londonderry, Northern Ireland. She was the Minister of Justice in the fourth Northern Ireland Executive from May 2016 to March 2017. Rory Montgomery is a Policy Fellow in Residence at the Trinity Long Room Hub and until recently, the Second Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for EU issues, including Brexit. The Trinity Long Room Hub Behind the Headlines series is supported by the John Pollard Foundation. Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/