Essays on contemporary British-Irish relations, with views from the USA

“The spirit of real friendship and partnership that characterises the relationship between our two countries is an inspiring example of what can be salvaged from the ashes of historical enmity and inequality.” President Mary McAleese, Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined II

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern launched ‘Britain & Ireland: Lives Entwined II’ a new book of essays that explores the complex relationship between Britain and Ireland. Commissioned by the British Council, Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined II is a follow up to last year’s successful volume of the same name, and the 2004 report Through Irish Eyes that explored attitudes to the UK among young Irish people.

The new edition of Lives Entwined contains deeply personal essays from an eclectic range of contributors, including:

			Former Taoiseach and current EU Ambassador to the USA John Bruton
			Writer and journalist Ruth Dudley Edwards
			Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey (née Devlin)
			Progressive Democrat TD Liz O’Donnell
			Ivana Bacik Reid Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin
			Irish Historian John A Murphy
			Boston Globe journalist Kevin Cullen
			Ed Moloney author of ‘A Secret History of the IRA’
			Ray O'Hanlon, editor of The Irish Echo in New York

As Tony Reilly, Director, British Council Ireland who commissioned Lives Entwined II said:
“Britain & Ireland: Lives Entwined II develops and expands a number of themes and threads from the first book. It also includes fresh views on the nuanced and knotty complexities of contemporary British-Irish relations from across the Atlantic.”

Incoming British Ambassador, David Reddaway, also spoke at the launch. He said:
"These thoughtful and thought-provoking essays are of extraordinary value in helping us understand the complexities of the relationship between Britain and Ireland - and the importance of developing trust and building modern partnerships".

At the launch historian and broadcaster John Bowman, presenter of RTE’s flagship political discussion programme ‘Questions & Answers’ chaired a lively panel discussion on Britain & Ireland.

Former Taoiseach and a contributor to the first Lives Entwined book, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, has this to say about Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined II:
“What an extraordinary wide range of views, many of them involving deep and sometimes surprising insights into the Irish-British relationship"

While Professor Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission comments:
“The personal stories that are told here relate things about the authors that will make you gasp with shock or choke with indignation.”

And Dr. Maurice Manning, President of the Irish Human Rights Commission says:
“Fresh and challenging thinking on some of the most intractable and persistent issues defining the relationship between these two islands.”

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