ABSTRACT
The problem of Northern Ireland has proved to be so intractable because two groups of people with significantly conflicting senses of their own national and cultural identity inhabit the same territory. This has resulted in the perceived illegitimacy of the Northern Ireland state by a large minority of its inhabitants, which underlies the fundamental and continuing instability of that jurisdiction. Any serious proposal for lasting peace and stability in Northern Ireland must take account of these twin concepts of identity and legitimacy.
