Abstract: Compares Northern Ireland's peace process with the transition to democracy in South Africa. The chapter details the ways in which Northern Ireland's political elites learnt from South Africa's negotiations, and argues that they have more to learn. It squarely rejects the claim of Irish republican militants that their position is analogous to that of South Africa's African National Congress.

Keywords: African National Congress, democracy, negotiations, Northern Ireland, peace process, political elites, Republicanism, South Africa, transition,