Ireland Chapter 3 Flashcards
Why did Britain & the Republic of Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1985?
To undermine the toleration of the nationalist minority for the IRA after the Hunger strikes for the sake of Stability fear that Sinn Féin might overtake the SDLP and become the main nationalist party in Northern Ireland
Security reasons – The British Government realised that it needed better relations with the nationalist minority in Northern Ireland, or the security situation there wouldn’t improve. The Brighton Bomb British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was almost killed by this IRA bomb
Dr garret Fitzgerald, Taoiseach and the government in the Republic of Ireland supported John Hume and the SDLP. They had worked closely in the New Ireland Forum in 1983.
The Irish government wanted to improve relations with the British government for stability, and undermine support for Sinn Fein among Northern Ireland Nationalists.
The 1984 Brighton Bombing and increased IRA violence in Britain convinced Mrs Thatcher that she must reduce support for Sinn Fein and the IRA among nationalists in Northern Ireland. Mrs Thatcher also hoped for better co-operation over security between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Both governments agreed to a role for the Republic of Ireland in the government of Northern Ireland through a Secretariat of British and Irish Civil Servants. The Republic of Ireland agreed that unification could only happen with the consent of the majority of people in Northern Ireland.
In what ways did Unionists respond to the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1985?
The Unionist population reacted very badly to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. They felt betrayed by Thatcher’s government and felt that they would end up having to join a united Ireland.
At the same time, the pro-Union Alliance Party was more positive about the Agreement’s potential to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
All Unionists were angry at the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. They had not been consulted and felt betrayed. There had been no consultation with them while SDLP were consulted by the Irish government
Agreement was referred to as a “diktat”. It had given Republic’s government a say in Northern Ireland’s affairs over the heads of the Unionist representatives and the population that they represented
How did Nationalists react to the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1985?
Of all Northern Ireland’s parties, the SDLP had most to be pleased about. It had been kept up to date about the negotiations leading up to the Agreement by the Dublin government. The SDLP believed that the Agreement could allow Unionists and Nationalists to live together in peace.
The involvement of both governments had been a key demand of John Hume. The SDLP supported the Anglo-Irish Agreement, seeing it as a chance for peace and progress. The SDLP welcomed the fact that they had been given more of a role in the creation of the Agreement than any other party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP hoped the Agreement would bring an increased role for the Republic of Ireland in the affairs of Northern Ireland & hoped to gain support at the expense of Sinn Fein. It welcomed the involvement of the Republic’s government in the Anglo-Irish Secretariat at Maryfield
How did Republicans react to the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1985?
The Agreement was rejected by Sinn Féin. Republicans argued that by recognising the existence of Northern Ireland in the Agreement, the Dublin Government had made partition more permanent.
Sinn Fein condemned the Agreement especially as the Republic of Ireland officially recognised Northern Ireland. Gerry Adams said that the Agreement “copper-fastened partition” . In the Agreement, the Republic of Ireland’s government accepted that a united Ireland was a long-term aim, which would only come about with the consent of the majority in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin realised it was an attempt to weaken them
The IRA continued their campaign of violence
How did Great Britain react to the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1985?
While the Agreement was easily passed by the Westminster Parliament, some members of Margaret Thatcher’s government were not as happy. Chief among these was Ian Gow, a Minister in the Treasury Department. Gow resigned from the Government in protest at the Agreement; he claimed that it had only been agreed due to the pressure of paramilitary violence.
Results of the campaign
While unionist candidates won over 420,000 votes in the by-elections that followed the resignation of their Westminster seats, one seat (Newry and Armagh) was won by the SDLP.
The Westminster Parliament was so big (with 650 MPs) that the non- attendance of 14 Unionist MPs was not really noticed.
As local councils within Northern Ireland had little or no power as things stood, their refusal to use their ‘powers’ made no difference to how Northern Ireland was run.
Downing Street Declaration
Irish wanted Self determination included
British wanted idea of consent included
Reynolds got self determination but in two separate referendum North & South British got principal of consent (mentioned five times)
• British-“uphold the democratic wish of a greater number of the people of N.I on the issue of whether they wish to support the Union or establish a sovereign united Ireland’’ reaffirmed Brook’s 1990 declaration that they had no ‘selfish strategic or economic interest’ in remaining in N.I.
• Dublin-accepted a united Ireland had to be the result of majority consent within N.I. Plus it accepted that important elements of the 1937 constitution were unacceptable to Unionists & they undertook to make changes to the constitution.
• The British clarified their position by saying that it would not persuade unionist to become part of a United Ireland and reaffirmed their sovereignty over N.I & that they did not contemplate sharing this with Dublin.
• Declaration saw British accepting that the desire to be part of a United Ireland was a legitimate aspiration to hold but that it could only happen if both parts of Ireland wanted it.
Reactions & Results to/of the Downing Street Declaration
• Sinn Fein- Glad to see Brits accepting the desire by some to be part of a united Ireland. The idea of self-determination. But were against fact that that Unionist could veto over it happening.
• Unionists-
UUP- glad British reasserted its sovereignty over N.I but not happy with what they
called the Declaration’s ‘green tinge’
DUP- Saw it not so much as a ‘green tinge’ but as a step closer to a United Ireland
Unionists in general worried about vague promises of Dublin to change its constitution.
Results from background:-
• 3 strand approach
• Agreement nothing agreed until everything agreed
• Improved relations Adams-Hume
Results from agreement:-
• British accepted idea of self-determination of people of N.I. that some people may wish to be Irish
• Dublin would change Constitution
• British reaffirmed N.I British as long as majority want but that
Republic had some role
• PIRA ceasefire 17 months
• Loyalist Ceasefire
• Improved US –Sinn Fein relationship
• Improved Dub –Sinn Fein relationship
• Parties lined to paramilitaries had potential to be involved in talks
Good Friday Agreement Proposals
A Northern Ireland Assembly with a power sharing executive
New cross-border institutions with the Republic of Ireland
And a body linking devolved assemblies across the UK with Westminster and Dublin
The Republic of Ireland has also agreed to drop its constitutional claim to the six counties which formed Northern Ireland
Proposals on the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons
Proposals on the future of policing in Northern Ireland
Proposals for the early release of paramilitary prisoners
Reactions to the Good Friday Agreement
Although the Unionist Democratic Party was the only major party in Northern Ireland to oppose the agreement (along with the more marginal UKUP), both had not been involved in the negotiations
While UUP leader David Trimble received the support of his wider party for the deal, he lost the support of six of the party’s ten members of parliament. (including Jeffery Donaldson) These dissenters joined forces with the DUP and the UKUP to campaign for a ‘No’ vote in the referendum which was to follow on 22 May 1998
Break away extreme Republicans totally against it. PIRA initially said the agreement fell short of presenting a solid basis for a lasting settlement & said it would not be decommissioned its weapons BUT Sinn Fein who supported it & changed their constitution so they could take seats in Stormont & advised their members to support it
New assembly
Elections to a new 108-member assembly to sit in the Parliament Buildings at Stormont swiftly followed on 25 June 1998. The assembly would be the centre of power in the new Northern Ireland and would elect the new power sharing executive:
No one party would be able to control the assembly
Decisions would have to be taken on the basis of parallel consent, requiring the endorsement of a majority of nationalists and a majority of unionists
So instead of fighting an election to win control of the assembly, the parties fought a campaign to win over ‘their side’, with non-aligned parties such as the Alliance Party designated as ‘others’
Sixteen parties, and more than a dozen independents, vied for six seats in each of Northern Ireland’s 18 constituencies
The UUP got the most seats with 28, followed by the SDLP with 24, the DUP with 20, Sinn Fein with 18, Alliance with six, UKUP with five, independent (anti-agreement) unionists with three, and two seats each for the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and the Women’s Coalition. With 58 seats won on the unionist side, David Trimble would become First Minister, with the SDLP’s Seamus Mallon as Deputy First Minister
