Abstract
Template for Peace provides a detailed examination of the peace attempts in terms of the policies of governing Northern Ireland. Shaun McDaid highlights the importance of this period by emphasising the significant change in the history of Northern Ireland along with the prorogation of the Northern Ireland parliament (Stormont) by the British government (p. 1).
The book follows a chronological order for investigating the underlying reasons for the conflicts between the parties in terms of the dilemma over direct rule and power-sharing. More particularly, the author critically analyses the White Paper (the Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals) and Sunningdale Agreement and exhibits that there was strong opposition to these resolution efforts through the strikes conducted by the Ulster Workers’ Council. Moreover, the author successfully deepens the analysis through the investigation of the other aspects of this conflict – namely the social and economic crises such as segregation, weak economic growth and sectarianism.
As the book indicates, the Sunningdale Agreement constituted the framework for the peace in Northern Ireland and formed the basis of the Good Friday Agreement. Therefore, the major perception of this book is its focus on the misunderstanding of seeing the Sunningdale Agreement as a lost peace process and the Irish Republican Army's ceasefire in 1975 as a missed opportunity. In fact, this book successfully interprets the British government's objective of having an executive constitutional form in Northern Ireland, and the importance of the Sunningdale Agreement as the first accord in which the Irish government recognised Northern Ireland (p. 25).
McDaid effectively demonstrates that the security crisis was the main hindrance which decreased the chances for peace. Additionally, he predominantly argues that, despite claims that there were plenty of options within the decision-making mechanism, the archival documents illustrate the opposite position and show that the only way for a stable Ireland was to continue direct rule until a power-sharing agreement could be recognised.
McDaid provides a comprehensive assessment of the position of several different parties in terms of political, social and economic policies through archival research. His book is recommended to researchers who work on the Northern Ireland peace process as it provides background information on the resolution efforts between the British and Irish governments and political parties.