ABSTRACT
Today there is general acceptance that while segregation may not be the cause of the conflict in Northern Ireland it almost certainly plays an important role in establishing and maintaining the ongoing conflict between the two communities (Gallagher, 1995). For that reason, many if not most of the policies designed to promote better community relations in Northern Ireland have focused on bringing the two communities together (Hughes, 2001), largely influenced by what is known as the “contact hypothesis.”
