Stormont’s First Cabinet
In 1999, Northern Ireland’s devolved Executive began work at Stormont, led by David Trimble and Seamus Mallon, while new North/South and British-Irish bodies implemented the Good Friday Agreement. The Republic amended its Constitution, replacing territorial claims with consent-based unity, though decommissioning and policing reform remained disputed. Ireland joined the euro’s non-cash phase amid rapid economic growth, but nurses’ industrial action revealed pressure on public services. Kosovar refugees arrived and immigration law changed. States of Fear prompted official acknowledgement of institutional abuse. Gay Byrne left The Late Late Show, Heaney published Beowulf, and Cork won the All-Ireland hurling final in September.
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Dundalk, Devolution and £4.40
In 2000, Northern Ireland’s new power-sharing Executive was suspended over IRA decommissioning, then restored after commitments and arms inspections, though no weapons were destroyed. Saville’s Bloody Sunday hearings began, while policing reform advanced through the Police (Northern Ireland) Act. In the Republic, Celtic Tiger growth brought low unemployment, inflation and infrastructure pressures, prompting the National Development Plan and Science Foundation Ireland. A national minimum wage, equal-status protections, human-rights legislation and child-abuse inquiry strengthened social accountability. Clinton visited Dundalk supporting peace. Sporting finals sustained shared rituals, but fragile devolution and unresolved arms left the peace process dependent on continuing international reassurance.
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Proleek, Nice and New Policing
In 2001, Celtic Tiger prosperity exposed Ireland’s vulnerabilities and transformations. Foot-and-mouth disease at Proleek, County Louth, prompted cross-border controls, slaughter and trade restrictions. Voters rejected the Treaty of Nice in a low-turnout referendum. Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions repeatedly neared collapse over policing and IRA arms, requiring temporary suspensions, before verified IRA decommissioning in October. The RUC became the PSNI in November, while Holy Cross schoolchildren faced loyalist protest and the GAA abolished Rule 21. Census and employment figures recorded social change, euro starter packs anticipated currency conversion, and cultural commemoration and mourning marked national life across the island and abroad.
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The Euro in Irish Hands
In 2002, euro notes and coins replaced the Irish pound, symbolising deeper European integration. Ireland’s Celtic Tiger economy remained strong in GDP terms, but weak GNP growth exposed dependence on foreign-owned firms. Census results recorded rapid population growth, immigration and Dublin-centred expansion, straining housing and services. Voters rejected tighter abortion provisions but approved the Nice Treaty, enabling EU enlargement. Bertie Ahern’s coalition won re-election. Clerical abuse controversies intensified scrutiny of Church authority. Northern Ireland’s institutions faltered despite IRA decommissioning, leading to suspension of devolved government. Ireland’s World Cup run provided national unity amid profound wider social, economic and constitutional change.
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Shannon, Stormont and Croke Park
In 2003, Ireland debated neutrality as United States forces continued using Shannon Airport during the Iraq invasion, prompting protests, parliamentary conflict and an unsuccessful legal challenge. Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions remained suspended despite British-Irish initiatives and IRA decommissioning; November’s election advanced the DUP and Sinn Féin. The Special Olympics World Summer Games, hosted across Ireland, celebrated athletes with intellectual disabilities and volunteering, while Tyrone won an Ulster all-Ireland final. Slowing Celtic Tiger growth nevertheless brought housing construction, immigration and pressure on services. Government plans for smoking restrictions provoked debate, and the Derrybrien peat slide exposed risks associated with wind-energy development.
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Rossport and the Last Arsenal
In 2005, Ireland’s transformation exposed tensions between peace, prosperity and accountability. The Provisional IRA ended its armed campaign and decommissioned its entire arsenal, although Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions remained suspended amid distrust following the Northern Bank robbery and Robert McCartney’s murder. In the Republic, the new Health Service Executive, citizenship rules and Disability Act reflected institutional and demographic change. Celtic Tiger growth, construction and immigration reshaped society, while the Irish Ferries dispute highlighted labour standards. Imprisonment of the Rossport Five crystallised opposition to the Corrib gas project. Cork’s cultural year and Irish’s EU recognition affirmed cultural confidence and European standing.
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St Andrews and the Port Tunnel
In 2006, Ireland’s boom brought record housebuilding, low unemployment, migration and pressure on infrastructure and services. The census recorded 4,239,848 people, with non-Irish nationals comprising about one tenth, reflecting profound social and religious change. Government responded through employment-permit, strategic-planning and social-partnership measures, while the Dublin Port Tunnel opened to improve freight access. In Northern Ireland, the St Andrews Agreement created a route towards restoring devolved power-sharing, although Stormont remained suspended; a Transitional Assembly began preparatory work. The High Court rejected recognition of Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan’s Canadian marriage. Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at the K Club projected confidence.
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