CASE STUDY Sunningdale Agreement

Question 1

When did Whitelaw invite NI parties to round table talks to explore possibility of political agreement?

Answer 1

September 1972

Question 2

Quote of first time British acknowledgement of “Irish dimension”

Answer 2

Any new arrangement should be

“so far as possible, acceptable to and accepted by the Republic of Ireland.”

Question 3

When did the Border poll take place?

Answer 3

8 March 1973

Question 4

Results of border poll

Answer 4

97.8% in favour (nationalists boycotted it)

Representing 57% of voters

Question 5

Where did the round - table talks take place?

Answer 5

Darlington, Co. Durham

Question 6

When did elections for the assembly take place ?

Answer 6

28 June 1973

Question 7

Figures of assembly elections showing how much anti-power sharing unionists outnumbered Faulkner

Answer 7

Anti-power-sharing unionists outnumbered Faulkner’s 26 to 24 in the 78 seat Assembly

Question 8

Assembly election results showing majority unionist opinion was against power-sharing

Answer 8

Moderates on both sides got 51.4% in total. But extreme unionists got 36% on their own, suggesting they represent majority of unionist opinion.

Question 9

How many seats did Alliance win in the Assembly elections?

Answer 9

8

Question 10

How many seats did the SDLP win in the assembly elections?

Answer 10

19

Question 11

On what date did the assembly meet to discuss what the new govt should look like?

Answer 11

5 Oct 1973

Question 12

When was the executive formed?

Answer 12

November 1973

Question 13

What was the composition of the executive?

Answer 13

6 Unionists
4 SDLP
1 Alliance

Question 14

Who was in charge of the executive with who else?

Answer 14

Faulkner- Chief Minister

Gerry Fitt- his deputy

Question 15

Who caused violent scenes in the Assembly when they attacked power-sharing unionists?

Answer 15

Vanguard and DUP

Question 16

Power sharing

Answer 16

Power sharing involved joint participation of unionists and nationalists in the government of NI.

Question 17

When did the Sunningdale negotiations begin?

Answer 17

6 Dec 1973

Question 18

When was the Sunningdale Agreement signed?

Answer 18

9 Dec 1973

Question 19

Quote for nationalist and ROI only wanting unity by consent

Answer 19

The only unity they wanted to see was “unity established by consent”

Question 20

Quote for majority unionist desire to remain in UK

Answer 20

Majority Desire to remain in UK “remained firm”

Question 21

Quote about Irish govt accepting the fact that there could be no change in status until ..

Answer 21

“a majority .. desired a change in status”

Question 22

Quote about Brit. Govt supporting wish if in future a maj. want to leave ..

Answer 22

“the Brit. Govt would support that wish”

Question 23

Quote of Faulkner in saying that the fact that Dublin reps would work w NI reps on equal terms ..

Answer 23

“underlined the acceptance of partition”

Question 24

Quote of Faulkner about how nothing in Sunningdale infringed on the Assembly’s powers, by which ..

Answer 24

“everything would have to be approved and delegated”

Question 25

According to SDLP, the council would create ..

Answer 25

“An evolutionary process” to a United ireland

Question 26

When did the power-sharing executive begin to function?

Answer 26

1 Jan 1974

Question 27

When did the Ulster Unionist Council meet and vote against the executive?

Answer 27

3 days after the executive began to function; 4 Jan 1974

Question 28

Quote of what the Ulster Unionist Council votes against

Answer 28

“the proposed all-Ireland Council settlement”

Question 29

By how many votes did the Ulster Unionist Council vote against the Council?

Answer 29

427-374 votes

Question 30

Who replaces Faulkner as leader of the Ulster Unionist Council?

Answer 30

Harry West

Question 31

When did the British general election take place?

Answer 31

Feb 1974

Question 32

What new organization was formed from the Ulster Unionist Council?

Answer 32

United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC)

Question 33

What slogan did UUUC use in general election?

Answer 33

“Dublin is just a Sunningdale away”

Question 34

How many seats in Westminster did UUUC win and who won the others?

Answer 34

11 out of 12; the other won by Gerry Fitt SDLP

Question 35

Statistic about general election results showing how little support executive had

Answer 35

Just over half the electorate voted for candidates who opposed Sunningdale

Question 36

Quote of IRA about making it clear through bombings that..

Answer 36

“there could be no solution that was not to our liking”

Question 37

Results of general election in Britain and new Secretary of State ?

Answer 37

Heath Conservative —> Harold Wilson Labour ; Merlyn Rees

Question 38

When did Harold Wilson visit Belfast after the election?

Answer 38

18 April 1974

Question 39

What was the aim of the Ulster Worker’s Council?

Answer 39

To use strikes to bring NI to a standstill and destroy agreement

Question 40

When did the strike begin?

Answer 40

14 May 1974

Question 41

What did the strikers demand?

Answer 41

Immediate elections for voters to express views on Sunningdale

Question 42

Quote of workers blaming Faulkner for the strike , who is...

Answer 42

“ignoring the wishes of 400,000 people” who voted against him

Question 43

Name one of the organizers of the strike

Answer 43

Andy Tyrie

Question 44

Quote of the organizer of the strike saying the public will blame it on the giver because....

Answer 44

“that’s the way their minds are thinking”

Question 45

Statistic of how much electricity was cut down by and how quickly

Answer 45

Within 10 days, electricity output had been cut by 60%

Question 46

When did the loyalists bomb Dublin and Monaghan during the strike?

Answer 46

Friday 17 May 1974

Question 47

How many bombs in Dublin and what type ?

Answer 47

2 car bombs ; no warning ; city center

Question 48

How many bombs in Monaghan, what type?

Answer 48

1 car bomb, no warning, city center

Question 49

How many killed by the bombs in Dublin and Monaghan? What is significant about it?

Answer 49

32: greatest loss of life on a single day in whole history of Troubles

Question 50

When did Wilson broadcast his speech concerning the strike?

Answer 50

25 May 1974

Question 51

Quote of what Wilson called the strike

Answer 51

“undemocratic and unparliamentary”

Question 52

Quote of what Wilson believed strikers’ aim was.. to set up a

Answer 52

“sectarian and undemocratic state”

Question 53

Quote of Wilson where he calls them spongers

Answer 53

“people who spend their lives sponging on Westminster”

Question 54

How much was Britain spending on NI each year?

Answer 54

£300 mil