The discourse of conflict in Northern Ireland: from the IRA to globalisation

This paper addresses the discourse of the conflict that has been going on for centuries in Northern Ireland (NI) between Unionists and Republicans, Catholics and Protestants, reaching its peak with the “Troubles” of the 1970s, with negotiations starting in the early 1990s, and finally evolving into full devolution in 2007. Meanwhile, the 2001 attacks on the US have changed the very notion of terrorism, and the effects of the globalising trends emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall and boomed in the 1990s and 2000s are still shaping the current politics, economies and societies of nations worldwide. This study intends to present a contemporary, historical view of the discourse of rival NI politicians, as it is expressed in their own words and in the media. Results are expected to shed light on the correlation and influence between the discourse of the conflict and the conflict itself.