A key lesson from the literature applying rational choice to confliict is that violent conflict is perhaps surprising. The inefficient waste of resources due to violent conflict should, in principle, provide bargaining space for rational agents to find efficient peaceful compromises. For conflict to occur, Fearon (1995) essentially reduced the set of rational explanations to two. Conflict can arise if there is asymmetric information and/or commitment problems. The focus of this paper will be on the potential for lack of credible commitment to be caused by the way a rebel group is funded, but also how changes in the composition and nature of rebel funding may help to eventually resolve the conflict. The theory will be applied to the case of Northern Ireland which suffered a 30 year conflict brought to an end constitutionally in the Belfast Agreement in 1998.