The Anglo-Irish Agreement (Negotiations, Course and Impacts)

Negotiating the Anglo-Irish Agreement

• Despite the British government's initial rejection of the New Ireland Forum proposals, the Irish government and other stakeholders continued to discuss Northern Ireland's future.
• Hume and other moderate nationalists feared Thatcher's opposition to the Forum might embolden the IRA. Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald also worried about growing support for Sinn Féin and aimed to show Northern Ireland's Catholics that constitutional nationalism could lead to peace.
• To pressure Thatcher to find a solution, Hume and FitzGerald sought the support of the Friends of Ireland, an Irish-American group that included influential figures like Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy and Archbishop George Carey.
• They urged U.S. President Ronald Reagan to engage with the British Prime Minister on Northern Ireland's future.
  • In December 1984, when Reagan and Thatcher met, Reagan expressed his concerns over the lack of political progress in Northern Ireland and expressed a desire to continue these talks.
  • Reagan's involvement, along with pressure from within the British cabinet, led Thatcher to present new proposals to the Irish government in January 1985.

• These proposals included closer security cooperation between Britain and the Republic to combat the IRA, and suggested that:
  • The Irish government would have a role in Northern Ireland's governance.
  • This role would not undermine Northern Ireland's constitutional status as part of the United Kingdom.

The Anglo-Irish Agreement, 15 November 1985

The continued talks culminated in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough in County Down. The agreement outlined several key points:

• An Intergovernmental Conference was established to facilitate regular meetings between officials from both the Northern and Southern governments, involving the Northern Ireland Secretary and the Irish Foreign Minister.

• The Irish government would be granted a consultative role on matters such as security, cross-border issues, and political affairs.
• The British government acknowledged that reunification could be a future possibility, contingent upon the consent of Northern Ireland's citizens.

To alleviate unionist concerns, Article 1 of the agreement stated:

1. Any change in Northern Ireland's status would only occur with the majority consent of its people.
2. The current majority preference is for no change in Northern Ireland's status.
3. If a future majority clearly desires a united Ireland, the British and Irish governments would support such a decision through legislation.

Reaction to the Agreement

• Nationalist groups, including Sinn Féin, generally welcomed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, while loyalist groups and unionist parties, such as the UUP and DUP, strongly opposed it.
• Charles Haughey of Fianna Fáil also denounced the agreement, arguing that it compromised Irish sovereignty.
• Unionist opposition was intense. The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) labelled those responsible for the agreement as targets. All 15 UUP and DUP MPs resigned from their Westminster seats, triggering by-elections to demonstrate their rejection of the agreement. Only one of those MPs was re-elected.
• In the days following the agreement, large-scale protests and demonstrations occurred, particularly in Belfast.
• On 23 November, a protest organised by Ian Paisley drew around 100,000 people, with the slogan "Ulster Says No" becoming a rallying cry against the agreement.

Assessing the Anglo-Irish Agreement

• While the agreement did not yield the security cooperation Thatcher had hoped for, it brought several positive outcomes.
• It was a significant victory for the Irish government, giving them a say in Northern Ireland's internal affairs, including policing, education, and security.
• The agreement also fostered cooperation between the British and Irish governments, who would consult each other on major decisions regarding Northern Ireland.
• This cooperation strengthened the position of the SDLP's constitutional nationalist approach, which, in turn, contributed to the IRA's eventual move towards a peace strategy.

Key Essay Prep - 'What was the importance of the Anglo Irish Agreement?'

• The Anglo-Irish Agreement was the first time the British and Irish governments formally cooperated on Northern Ireland, which helped set the stage for future peace efforts.
• It allowed the Irish government to have a consultative role in Northern Ireland's affairs, particularly in areas like security, cross-border cooperation, and political matters.
• The agreement reassured Unionists by confirming that Northern Ireland's constitutional status as part of the United Kingdom could only be changed with the majority consent of its people.
• By showing that political progress could be made through peaceful means, the agreement helped to reduce support for the IRA and encouraged a shift away from violence.
• Despite its significance, the agreement faced strong opposition from Unionist groups, leading to widespread protests and increased tensions in the short term.
• U.S. President Ronald Reagan's involvement in the agreement highlighted the international dimension of the Northern Ireland conflict, showing that global pressure could play a role in the peace process.
• Although the Anglo-Irish Agreement did not immediately end the Troubles, it set a precedent for future agreements, including the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which ultimately brought peace to the region.
• The agreement strengthened the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which advocated for a peaceful, political solution to the conflict and influenced other nationalist groups to consider non-violent strategies.