Queen’s University Belfast recently hosted a virtual panel discussion, Reflections on the Centenary of the Government of Ireland Act, jointly supported by the UK and Irish governments. It provided an opportunity for key actors to reflect on the creation of Northern Ireland and our shared, if contested, history, marking a key moment in the decade of centenaries. 

British and Irish perspectives

Representatives from the British and Irish governments offered their perspectives on the Government of Ireland Act.

Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, acknowledged the Act’s implementation as a “landmark moment,” leading to both pride and pain. The pain was not just felt by northern nationalists, he said, but also by southern unionists.

Commemorating the Act represents an opportunity for the Irish government to engage more with Northern Ireland and to promote deeper understanding, not shying away from the complexity of our shared past. 

Offering the a view from the British government, Brandon Lewis, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, sees the commemoration as an opportunity to “confront the difficult aspects of our history together.” But it also represents an opportunity to strengthen British-Irish relations – “as sovereign, equal partners,” and to “promote Northern Ireland.”

Both Lewis and Coveney pointed to the Good Friday Agreement as a framework for stronger relationships and a brighter future to develop.

Unionist and nationalist perspectives

For her part, First Minister Arlene Foster reflected on the Government of Ireland Act as the basis for the creation of Northern Ireland, and how it represented a compromise. Admitting that she does not always fully understand the political decisions of her predecessors, she added that “each must lead according to our time.” 

She sees the centenary of the Act and the upcoming centenary of Northern Ireland as a time for reflection, commemoration and celebration.

The deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill sees the Act differently, noting that it was not truly respected nor accepted by the nationalist community, describing it as a “failure” that paved the way for discrimination against the minority community.

Looking ahead, O’Neill sees a “decade of opportunity,” marked by new conversations about Irish unity.

Despite their differences, it was striking that both the First and deputy First ministers called for the development of “common purpose” and “common ground” respectively, acknowledging the importance of working together.

What might bring unionism and nationalism together is the fact that the centenary comes at a time when the effects of Brexit become tangible for Northern Ireland. Despite standing on opposite sides of the 2016 referendum, unionists and nationalists may find incentives to work together in this centenary year to deliver the best outcomes possible for Northern Ireland against a challenging backdrop. 

Looking back, and looking forward

As Ben Kelly of The Independent observes, the centenary of the Government of Ireland Act comes at a time when the debate around Northern Ireland’s future intensifies. As the UK government is accused of a “betrayal of unionism,” the Irish government has set up a Shared Island Unit “designed to increase island-wide projects to bind north and south closer together.”

Still, as we do move into Northern Ireland’s centenary year, it remains important to first try to understand the past that has made Northern Ireland what it is today.

Alongside the full set of reflections from Brandon Lewis, Simon Coveney, Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill, below you are encouraged to watch the reflections of Professor Mary Daly and Professor Paul Bew in a panel discussion chaired by Professor Fearghal McGarry.

You can watch the full virtual event here: