Sinn Fein and the SDLP: From Alienation to Participation

This study argues that political winners have become electoral losers in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein was obliged to give up a lot to support the Good Friday Agreement - a deal which recognizes Northern Ireland, kept it within the United Kingdom, and asked republicans to assist in the governance of a political entity they fought to destroy. In contrast, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) did not have to compromise much. Yet despite this, Sinn Fein has become politically dominant. This book looks at the entire history of the two parties since 1970, and seeks to come to grips with the meaning of the recent ascent of Sinn Fein.