ABSTRACT
The assertion that ‘sport and national identity, no matter how complex the specific relationships, are inextricably linked’ is one that retains considerable resonance in the case of Northern Ireland. It is fair to conclude that an ethno-sectarian ‘fault-line’ has been present within sport across the country, or at least in the vast majority of cases, for much of the last century. However, what is curious is how this complex relationship between sport and identity politics has retained its potency well into the twenty-first century, despite significant improvements in the political and social landscape of Northern Ireland. Equally, it is a remarkable testimony to the sporting people of Northern Ireland, in particular, that their achievements on the world stage have remained so pronounced, despite the often-turbulent nature of everyday life in that country. What is clear is the very close relationship between sport and identity formation in Northern Ireland, even some two decades after the signing of the Belfast-Good Friday Agreement (GFA) in 1998 when, it was believed, many of the questions concerning identity politics in the country had been addressed, remains all too clear.
