Prof Paul Bew of Queen's University Belfast has been appointed to the House of Lords, where he will sit as a Crossbencher (Independent).
He was one of six non-party-political peers recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission announced yesterday. The announcement won a warm response from 10 Downing Street on behalf of British prime minister Tony Blair.
In a statement Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "This honour reflects the outstanding contribution that Paul Bew has made to the understanding of Irish history and Northern Ireland politics in all their complexity. That contribution is not just recognised in Britain and Ireland but wherever there is an interest in Northern Ireland and its affairs."
Prof Bew (57), a member of the Royal Irish Academy, has been professor of Irish politics at Queen's since 1991. A leading authority on the politics of Northern Ireland he is the author of numerous works, including the forthcoming volume Ireland: The Politics of Enmity 1789-2006in the Oxford History of Modern Europe Series.
Prof Bew, who has yet to consult the House of Lords authorities about his title, is married to Prof Greta Jones, a historian of science and medicine at the University of Ulster.
The new Lord and Lady Bew had to keep a tight family secret after learning just before Christmas that a peerage was under consideration. Confirmation of Prof Bew's elevation arrived just two days ago in a letter from the College of Arms in London.
Inundated yesterday with messages of congratulation from friends and well-wishers across Ireland and Britain, Prof Bew told The Irish Times: "I am absolutely delighted, and I look forward to learning the rules of the House [of Lords] and to playing an active part."