These Divided Isles: Britain and Ireland, Past and Future
An Irish History Lecture & Book Talk with Philip Stephens
Join the ICC for an evening with award-winning Financial Times journalist Philip Stephens as he explores the turbulent history and future of Britain and Ireland. Based on his new book, These Divided Isles: Britain and Ireland, Past and Future, Stephens takes you through the dramatic century since the Anglo-Irish Treaty and partition, examining the deep connections, conflicts, and shared history between the two islands.
From political giants like David Lloyd George, Michael Collins, Winston Churchill, and Éamon de Valera to the millions of Irish emigrants who shaped Britain, Stephens paints a vivid picture of a relationship defined by both intimacy and rivalry.
Doors: 6.30pm; Starts: 7pm
Tickets: £8
About These Divided Isles
Today, demography, Brexit, and political change have brought the possibility of Irish unity into view. In These Divided Isles, Stephens asks how Ireland can use its history to shape its future rather than be held back by it.
Grounded in decades of reporting and interviews with key policymakers across Britain and Europe, the book provides a clear-eyed account of Anglo-Irish relations—a story of family ties, political conflict, and attempts at reconciliation.
Some copies of These Divided Isles will be available to purchase on the night, and Philip Stephens will host a book signing after his talk.
About Philip Stephens
Philip Stephens is a contributing editor at the Financial Times, where he previously served as director of the Editorial Board and chief political commentator. Over his career, he has gained unique access to policymakers in Britain and around the world.
He has received numerous awards, including the David Watt Prize for Outstanding Political Journalism, the Political Studies Association’s Journalist of the Year, and Political Journalist of the Year in the Press Awards.
Stephens is the author of several books, including Politics and the Pound, Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader, and Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit. Born in London with roots in County Mayo, he brings both a British and Irish perspective to his writing.
What the Press and People Say About These Divided Isles
“If Britain understood its relationship with its first colony, Ireland, it could begin to understand the consequences of running the biggest empire in human history. This timely book from one of Britain’s most perceptive commentators provides an illuminating entryway into this essential history.”
— Sathnam Sanghera, journalist
“One of the most astute and informed modern commentators on British politics and its foreign policy … Stephens has written a profound, authoritative and readable account of the troubled relations between Britain and Ireland.”
— Daithí Ó Ceallaigh, former Irish Ambassador in London
“Beautifully written … An authoritative and insightful account of how the two countries have struggled to establish a neighbourly coexistence is illuminated by the author’s experience as a journalist covering Anglo-Irish relations since the 1980s.”
— Stephen Collins, Political Commentator, Irish Times
“Stephens’ account of the jagged divisions between Britain and Ireland over the last century and the repeated attempts to heal them is masterful and beautifully written … Required reading for anyone interested in how the Troubles ended and what the final answer to the Irish question might be.”
— Jonathan Powell, former UK National Security Advisor
“These Divided Isles is a most comprehensive, balanced and hard hitting history of the last hundred years of Anglo-Irish relations. It pulls no punches on those on all sides who were to blame for the terrible and often callous failures that led to a violent and divisive partition …”
— Richard Needham, former Northern Ireland Minister
“A clear sighted and dispassionate view of Anglo-Irish relations is long overdue – now Philip Stephens has provided it. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to know how politicians have divided these islands.”
— Adam Boulton, journalist
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