Abstract
In a paper entitled ‘Lessons from Ireland’, Paddy Hillyard argued that Northern Ireland essentially served as a testing ground for the development of repressive policy measures that eventually would transfer elsewhere. In this article, I engage with the important thesis advanced by Hillyard and others, and argue that it stands in need of theoretical refinement and empirical elaboration. First, I highlight some factors that might be considered in any re-evaluation of this approach. Second, I examine the impact of the Northern conflict on policing in Britain and the Republic of Ireland, both to demonstrate the salience of these issues and to highlight ways in which the conflict’s impact was tempered by other factors. Finally, I suggest that a focus on the negative lessons of conflict should be complemented by attention to positive lessons of conflict and its resolution
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