ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the scale and character of rurality and then revisits in more depth the debates on social deprivation, equality and societal division as they relate to rural Northern Ireland. It outlines the emergence of rural development as a prominent feature of public policy in Northern Ireland. The chapter also describes the complex governance arrangements which have been in place to secure a wide range of development outcomes. The experience of community led local development and local partnership governance is illustrative of the linkage between rural development and civil society. Rural society is itself highly differentiated across groups and the groupings themselves need also to be disaggregated on the basis of diversity and inclusion. Policies brought forward within the arena of rural development governance have belatedly sought to make a contribution to the wider quest of restoring community confidence and building stability.
