The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-1998

This work provides an indispensable study of the role played by the Catholic Church during one of the most tumultuous periods of British and Irish history - the Northern Ireland Troubles - showing evidence which offers a radical new perspective on religious institutions as conflict mediators in the twentieth century.

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Until surprisingly recently the history of the Irish Catholic Church during the Northern Irish Troubles was written by Irish priests and bishops and was commemorative, rather than analytical. This study uses the Troubles as a case study to evaluate the role of the Catholic Church in mediating conflict.

During the Troubles, these priests and bishops often worked behind the scenes, acting as go-betweens for the British government and republican paramilitaries, to bring about a peaceful solution. However, this study also looks more broadly at the actions of the American, Irish and English Catholic Churches, as well as that of the Vatican, to uncover the full impact of the Church on the conflict. This critical analysis of previously neglected state, Irish, and English Catholic Church archival material changes our perspective on the role of a religious institution in a modern conflict.