Redefining Partition

This chapter explores the evolution of Irish nationalist thinking on the issue of partition. It does so by examining the political ideas of John Hume, leader of Northern Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labour Party between 1979 and 2001. Hume was a key figure in the reformulation of nationalist thinking on partition, helping to rearticulate the problem as being one of a divided people rather than a divided territory. Although a northern nationalist leader, Hume’s ideas greatly influenced the thinking of southern Irish political elites, and so the approach of successive Irish governments to partition. His dialogue with Sinn Féin from 1988 also helped to modify republican thinking, as he persuasively argued that violence was counter-productive to the pursuit of Irish reunification – it could only deepen communal divisions rather unite people. In helping to change Irish government and republican thinking on partition, Hume eased the path towards the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The chapter argues that this settlement effectively ‘re-partitioned’ Ireland, but in a way that radically recast the border in terms of its political significance and practical consequences. The chapter ends by reflecting on the potential repercussions of Brexit for this settlement.