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Acknowledgements

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) Council for Public Affairs (CPA) ‘Dealing with the Past’ subgroup conceived the idea for this book and steered it to its completion. The subgroup was chaired by Very Rev. Norman Hamilton until mid-2019 and by Rev. Daniel Kane thereafter; its members are Rev. Bill Addley, Catherine Bell, Sam Pollock and Valerie Stewart. Over the course of the project, PCI’s Public Affairs Officers Gavin Norris (until 2018) and Karen Jardine (from 2019), and Press Officer Mark Smith, provided invaluable administrative support. The subgroup assisted and commented on the research at every stage of the process, providing vision and perspective.

The project was also overseen by an academic advisory group which included John Alderdice, Stafford Carson, Ian McBride, Duncan Morrow, Ethel White and Gillian Wylie; and a reference group which included Rev. Trevor Gribben, clerk of the General Assembly, and former Moderators Very Revs Stafford Carson, Rob Craig, Trevor Morrow, Charles McMullen, Noble McNeely and Frank Sellar. These groups read drafts of the work-in-progress and provided valuable insights. Very Rev. John Dunlop provided comment on the concluding chapter.

The research was supported by the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, which funded the employment of Jamie Yohanis as an interviewer and transcriber. The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast provided institutional support, facilitated by its director, Hastings Donnan. Queen’s academics John Brewer, Katy Hayward and Dirk Schubotz, and Queen’s research impact officer Liz Fawcett also aided at key stages of the research. Caroline Clarke transcribed a large portion of the interviews with much care and attention to detail. Joram Tarusarira, director of the Centre for Religion, Conflict and Globalisation at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, facilitated the volunteer placements of three master’s students who assisted with transcribing: Jonathan Barry, Ananda Klopstra and Januschka Schmidt. Madeleine Lerner, a student on Queen’s University master’s course in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, also volunteered as a transcriber.

From February to May 2019, Dave Thompson of Confluence Facilitation facilitated a series of three focus groups in six locations. Participants were presented with results of the research and provided feedback on how the material could be shaped into resources to be used in small groups in congregations or presbyteries and for trainee ministers at Union Theological College. These focus groups took place as Gladys Ganiel was completing the book manuscript, helping her to clarify important insights. Dave Thompson also read the full manuscript; his comments were particularly helpful in shaping the concluding reflections.

This book has been wholly written by Gladys Ganiel; the important role of Jamie Yohanis in providing feedback on drafts, and conducting the majority of interviews and transcriptions, warrants his inclusion as co-author.

Conor Graham and Fiona Dunne of Merrion Press were encouraging and supportive during the publication process.

Finally, this book would not have been possible without the willing participation of the interviewees and the Presbyterian ministers who helped us to find them and encouraged them to talk. Our interviewees spoke openly and passionately with us about events and circumstances that tested and re-tested their reserves of faith and fortitude. We hope this book honours their stories and helps us all remember together for a better future.