Abstract
The Agreement that emerged from the multi-party talks in Belfast on Good Friday 1998 was put to referendums on 22 May 1998 in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was approved by 71% in Northern Ireland and 94% in the Republic of Ireland. This chapter considers the reasoning behind the simultaneous referendums and what was at stake in the 1998 Agreement being voted on. It also compares the different experiences of the two referendums, including in the structures, funding and fallout of the different campaigns. It concludes by considering the fact that the 1998 Agreement includes provision for further concurrent referendums in the future, namely on whether Northern Ireland should become part of a united Ireland.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Palgrave Handbook on European Referendums |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| Pages | 247-265 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-3-030-55803-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Jul 2021 |
Keywords
- 1998 Agreement
- Referendum
- Border poll
- Northern Ireland