About Border Ireland

What is Border Ireland?

Border Ireland is an online searchable database of cross-border information produced by EU-funded programmes, government departments, academic researchers and other key information providers in Ireland, North and South.

The information on this website is a subset of the complete dataset held on a storage database within the Centre for Cross Border Studies.

In its early years of existence the Centre for Cross Border Studies has developed a high quality, reputable programme of cross-border research and dissemination. The Centre initiated Border Ireland to centralise the very large amount of uncoordinated and fragmented information about the Irish border region and cross-border co-operation.

By bridging the information gap, improving information availability and facilitating a network of cross-border, cross-community and cross-sectoral relationships, the development and use of Border Ireland will ensure that cross-border decisions within the public and the private sector are developed on the basis of sound information.

What does Border Ireland provide?

Border Ireland provides:

  • Access to an online searchable database of all cross-border information in a wide range of areas including Education, Health, Agriculture, Transport, Environment, Tourism, Economic Development, Community Development, Culture, Arts and Sports
  • The combined knowledge of Ireland's universities, institutes of technology, colleges of further education, student sectors, government departments and agencies, policy-making institutes, businesses, community development workers, private consultants and voluntary sector workers
  • Short descriptions of cross-border activities and their outputs, written in plain English, quick to read and easy to understand with an emphasis on policy relevance
  • Contact details including email addresses, telephone and fax numbers, hyperlinks to and descriptions of organisations and people invloved in the generation and use of cross-border information
  • An overview of the history of involvement in cross-border co-operation by organisations or individuals
  • Efficient and cost-effective dissemination channels allowing you to reach a wide audience with your work

What does Border Ireland contain?

Initially Border Ireland provided information in the 6 areas areas laid down for co-operation by the 1998 Belfast Agreement: Education, Health, Agriculture, Transport, Environment and Tourism. These sectors have been identified as priority areas for cross-border working by the two Administrations, North and South.

Subsequently, Border Ireland has been developed to include Economic Development, Community Development, Culture, Arts and Sports.

The first activities date from the early 1980s although the main focus is on information produced since 1990.

While this initial phase of Border Ireland has been restricted to cover cross-border co-operation on the island of Ireland it is hoped that future developments will include comparable information from other border regions throughout the world.

Discover what Border Ireland can do for you

Border Ireland is a uniquely objective mechanism for improving our understanding of cross-border co-operation. It offers the facility to identify strategic, sectoral and spatial patterns of activity, to assist in the evaluation of cross-border funding programmes, to inform future programme planning and to provide a baseline for future co-operation.

Border Ireland is developed by the Centre for Cross Border Studies and supported by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, administered by Co-operation Ireland.