ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the manner in which the Irish government addressed the outcome of the first Lisbon referendum and the second Lisbon campaign. It explores two dimensions: first, the management of the dynamic of multi-level politics that ensued after the first referendum and second how the second referendum was framed and won from the perspective of someone who was actively engaged in that process. Richard Sinnott was one of the scholars of comparative politics who from an early stage was intrigued by the impact of the European Union (EU) on political participation and electoral behaviour, and on the role of public opinion in European Integration. In 2008, research on public attitudes that Sinnott was centrally involved in was an input to government policy. Analysis and research became part of the Irish government's strategic response to managing the tensions and pressures arising from the decision of the Irish electorate and the reaction to this of Ireland's partners in the Union.
