Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Eroded Certainties and New Possibilities

The chapter provides a comparative critique of the current role of history teaching on the island of Ireland in the context of changing political relationships as a consequence of the Irish peace process and the rapidly expanding impact of globalisation.Initially, it examines the vacillations in the relationship between history teaching, north and south over the last 150 years. It traces this, first, through its common origins under British rule, then the abrupt divergence caused by partition and, latterly, the influence of internal and international political, economic and cultural change which has brought history education back toward a common educational purpose. The chapter then explores the potential for history teaching to contribute to transformative thinking amongst young people. It concludes that this can only occur when issues of national and global identity are directly problematized and history’s relationship with citizenship education is more effectively articulated through practice.