Good Friday Agreement 1998 Flashcards
What were the negotiations of the agreement based around?
Strand one - focus on a new governmental structure for NI
Strand two - concerned with relationships between the two parts of Ireland
Strand three - deal with British-Irish relations
Who put pressure on Britain and Ireland to secure a settlement?
Former US senator George Mitchell by setting a deadline on midnight on Thursday 9th April 1998
What was happening before the agreement was signed?
Sep 1995 - David Trimble becomes leader of UUP and supports peace process
Jan 1996 - George Mitchell issued the ‘Mitchell Principles’
May 1997 - Tony Blair becomes Labour Prime minister and appoints Mo Mowlam who is admired by nationalists and unionists
Sep 1997 - new IRA ceasefire. Dip pulls out of talks as well as UKUP
Nov 1997 - republicans split over peace process
Feb 1998 - loyalist prisoners threaten to pull out of peace process
What was strand one of the agreement?
Establish a 108 member assembly, elected proportional representation, with full legislative and executive authority over areas previously administered by the NI office
What was strand two of the agreement?
Created a North-South ministerial council responsible for cross-border co-operation in a range of areas.
What was strand three of the agreement?
Set up a British-Irish council with members from all parliaments within the British Isles. Its purpose was to enable consultation and co-operation in a range of areas. Also a British-Irish intergovernmental conference with responsibilities similar to one in the Anglo Irish Agreement
What was the first other element of the agreement?
Irish government agreed to renounce its constitutional claims to NI as contained within Articles II and III of the 1937 Irish constitution.
What were the other elements?
British government agreed to replace the 1920 government of Ireland Act.
There were also to be prisoner releases, alongside paramilitary decommissioning
What were the results of the referendum that asked if people accepted the agreement?
Large YES in the referendum.
71.1% voted yes in NI and 94.4% voted yes in the Republic of Ireland.
DUP and UKUP campaigned strongly against the GFA.
What happened with the 108-person assembly?
This assembly would elect a new power-sharing executive. No party would be able to control the assembly. Decisions would be made cross community. David Trimble became First minister and the SDLP’s Seamus Mallon become Deputy First minister
