Impact of the Troubles on the Republic of Ireland, 1968-79

This is the first book to examine popular responses in Southern Ireland to the Northern Irish Troubles. Beginning with the reaction to the October 1968 Civil Rights march in Derry, the book shows how thousands mobilized in solidarity with northern nationalists over the next four years. It extensively documents the reaction to Bloody Sunday, which culminated in the burning of the British Embassy in Dublin. It also shows how fear of the conflict spilling over produced a growing estrangement from the North and its problems. The battles between successive governments and republicans over security, the experience of northern refugees, the impact of the crisis on southern Protestants and popular views of the IRA are all examined. The bitter 'revisionist' controversy is also discussed as are popular cultural reactions to the northern conflict.

Utilizing archival material, local newspapers and memoirs, the book engages with everyday responses to the Troubles. As the first book to deal in detail with this period it will appeal to general readers, academics and students working in Irish history, Irish studies and political science. It engages with questions such as censorship and sectarianism which continue to provoke intense disagreement. It provides a context, including crucially a chapter which examines the human cost of Troubles-related violence, for why the Northern conflict remains such a divisive topic in the Irish Republic. With renewed discussion about the Irish border and Irish unity in the context of Brexit, the book is a timely reminder of how the Northern conflict almost destabilized the southern state.