CCBS has a new Senior Research Associate

The Centre for Cross Border Studies is honoured to announce that Michael D’Arcy, independent advisor and a supporter of the Centre from its earliest days, has agreed to become a Senior Research Associate.

Michael has extensive experience in economic and regulatory reform at regional, all-island, EU and international level. He has provided advice, prepared reports, facilitated networking initiatives and served on a number of Boards and consultative committees in the private and public sectors. He is also an experienced facilitator, interlocutor, mentor and lecturer.
Michael has been involved in the development of an all-island economy since jointly editing the seminal book ‘Border Crossings; Developing Ireland’s Island Economy’ (1995). He is a subject expert on North/South economic and business interaction on which he has written extensively including for the Esri; the European Economic and Social Committee; InterTradeIreland; Co-Operation Ireland; Chambers of Commerce Ireland; the International Fund for Ireland; University of Ulster; IT Sligo and The Irish Times.

Since the UK voted to Leave the EU this work has increasingly focused on protecting business in the all-island economy, highlighting how it is underpinning peace and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. He is currently independent advisor to the Ibec/CBI Joint Business Council, co-authored ‘The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the island of Ireland economy and Brexit’ (2018) a Brexit Briefing Note for the BA and RIA and was production coordinator of the joint Ibec/CBI ‘Business on a Connected island’ Report (2018).

For the last five years he has co-presented a Guest Lecture with former CCBS Director Andy Pollak on political violence and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement to political science students in Trinity College Dublin and was a Panelist at the Thomas D’Arcy Magee Summer School in Carlingford on the operation of N/S Bodies established by that Agreement.

Michael has supported the CCBS since its foundation and produced its Publication: Delivering a Prosperity Process: Opportunities in North/South Public Service Provision (2012). He was a Panelist at its 20^th Anniversary Conference where his remarks considered: ‘The all island economy and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, past present and future: and contributed an article to their Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland Special Edition (Vol 14 2019) to also mark that Anniversary: ‘Sir George Quigley , the island Economy and Brexit’. Most recently Michael presented the 5th Annual Sir George Quigley Memorial Lecture, ‘Re-imagining the island economy in the aftermath of the Covid 19 crisis and the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol’, which was the first of the series to be delivered online.

We look forward to Michael’s continued support and his invaluable expertise and insights as a great friend of the Centre for Cross Border Studies!