Related Archive: Good Friday Agreement

2018 CE

The Repeal Vote and Backstop

Archived: 26 September 2026

Abstract

In 2018, Ireland experienced major constitutional, social and political change amid economic growth and persistent inequality. In May, voters repealed the Eighth Amendment by 66.4 per cent, enabling legislation for abortion services from 2019; October also removed blasphemy from the Constitution and returned Michael D. Higgins as President. Brexit negotiations centred on an Irish border backstop, while Northern Ireland remained without devolved government. Housing shortages and homelessness intensified despite Project Ireland 2040 and new development initiatives. Pope Francis’s visit highlighted abuse-related criticism of the Church. Alcohol legislation, broadband planning and severe autumn storms further shaped a consequential, unresolved national year.

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1998 CE

The Consent Vote and Omagh

Archived: 26 September 2026

Abstract

In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement created a consent-based framework for Northern Ireland, recognising British and Irish identities, establishing proposed devolved and cross-border institutions, and requiring constitutional change. Referendums on 22 May endorsed it strongly in Northern Ireland and overwhelmingly in the Republic, where the Nineteenth Amendment enabled revised Articles 2 and 3. Assembly elections followed, but disputes over decommissioning delayed an Executive. The Real IRA's Omagh bombing killed twenty-nine people, exposing continuing violence and prompting security measures. John Hume and David Trimble received the Nobel Peace Prize, while economic growth and equality, enterprise and food-safety reforms reflected wider change.

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