Despite Northern Ireland's fractious start, the fledgling state was able to establish itself on a firm basis after a potentially threatening start, with Westminster supporting the new state militarily and economically. Not only had Ulster’s industry been important for the war effort but they had also been reliant on British capital, markets and raw materials.

Northern Ireland came into existence for good reason, and for much of the last 100 years it was the beacon of science and industry and modern values on this island. It a rich, industrial and cultural history within a highly regarded global trading nation and punches well above its weight as part of the fifth largest economy in the world.

There has long been a tendency to view events in Ireland in splendid isolation, except for the intrusion of the malign British. This presentation hopes to alter that perspective by placing the partition of Ireland in a broader, pan-European perspective, in particular: the way that the unification of Italy (completed in the 1860’s) was seen as a direct attack by Italian nationalists (Risorgimento) on the Papacy.