Ivan Gibbons

History lecturer Ivan Gibbons goes back to the early 20th century to explain how the idea of dividing Ireland came about.

Partition and the establishment of Northern Ireland in 1921 went on to become one of the most contested and fought-over issues of the 20th century. Gibbons says the reasons why it happened and why the British saw it as the only workable solution are less well understood. He explains how it came about, how it gained acceptance and popular support at the time and looks at the turmoil that followed.

Gibbons is a lecturer in modern Irish and British history and author of The British Labour Party and the Establishment of the Irish Free State and Drawing the Line: The Irish Border in British Politics.

This event is part of the festival’s programme of Irish literature and culture.