In writing this thesis my aim has been to provide answers toa series of neglected and important questions about the Council of Ireland. I wanted to discover what political circumstances gave rise to the idea of the Council and what connection it had with wider British/Irish politics. I analysed what the Council was meant to achieve and if the concept and objective of the Council altered over time. In particular I examined how far the Council was used as a vehicle for Irish unity, what role it played in fostering better north/south relations and if it was used as a mechanism for crisis management in wider fields. I also wanted to ascertain how the Council was perceived by the different political groupings who supported the Council and who opposed its existence, and if this support and opposition altered, and why. The attitudes of the British and Irish governments to the Council were analysed to discover what they were, if they altered and, in addition, if their attitudes to each other altered as a result of being involved in the work of the Council. I examined the strengths and weaknesses the Council had over its lifetime and which elements of the Council and political society were constant and which changed, and why.