The region between state and nation: British and Irish conceptions of Northern Ireland as a European region

Abstract

This article investigates the concept of regionalism in the EU and its relationship to changing conceptions of the nation‐statehood in Ireland and Britain. More specifically, it examines how the notion of regionalism has developed in official discourse during states’ adaptation to both internal challenges and the process of European integration. I explore this question through an analysis of the British and Irish state elites approaches to the Northern Ireland conflict and their perceptions of European regionalism in this context. In identifying the differences and, indeed, similarities between these states’ approaches to European and regional dynamics, I develop new perspective on post‐Agreement Northern Ireland and the concept of multilevel governance.

Notes

The author wishes to thank Angela Bourne for editorial comments and the Institute for the Study of Social Change, UCD for use of research facilities.