ARCHIVE 2003 No. 2
News, references and links on the history of Ireland
by Paul-Frederik Bach
Extracted with the permission of Irish American Information Service
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The Irish American Information Service
News from IAIS

2003-03-30 17:36:00 EST
McGUINNESS CONFIRMS PROGRESS IN TALKS
Sinn Fein chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness today confirmed progress on efforts to put the Northern Ireland peace process back on track. But he said at his party's national convention in Dublin that a final deal had still to emerge from on-going talks with the two governments and other political leaders. Mr McGuinness, speaking at one of the final sessions of the three-day meeting also issued a strong rallying call to his party ahead of May's elections for a new Northern Ireland Assembly.

2003-03-28 13:21:00 EST
TIME RUNNING OUT SAYS TRIMBLE
Time is running short in efforts to strike a deal in the Northern Ireland peace process, Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble tonight warned. Mr Trimble accused Sinn Féin of delaying recent negotiations and called on the party to give clear signals at its conference this weekend.

2003-03-20 08:09:00 EST
MAN CONVICTED OF McGOLDRICK MURDER
A County Armagh man has been convicted of the murder of Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick in 1996. Clifford McKeown, 44, from Craigavon was said to have confessed to a journalist that he shot the father-of-two. It took place at the height of the Drumcree stand-off over an Orange Order March in July 1996.

2003-03-18 11:02:00 EST
ORDE ON BORDER SHOOTING
A bitter split in the IRA's ranks led to the murder of a man in south Armagh, Chief Constable Hugh Orde claimed today. Further bloodshed could follow the shooting of Keith Rogers close to the Irish border, he warned. Mr Orde confirmed his detectives were prepared for revenge strikes as the violent feud in a staunchly republican border area intensified. He said: "It clearly was a fall-out between two factions of the Provisional IRA. That sends a very worrying message to us."

2003-03-14 18:56:00 EST
IRAQ WILL NOT DISTRACT BLAIR - ADAMS
Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams said tonight that the confrontation with Iraq is unlikely to distract British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair from his involvement in the peace process. "Even last week Mr Blair came to Ireland and was involved in 36 hours of solid negotiations regarding the Irish process. His commitment to the process is not distracted by his focus on Iraq and I presume that would be the case in the future," Mr Adams said.

2003-03-13 11:52:00 EST
NORTH'S LEADERS ATTEND WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATIONS
US President George Bush today pledged to do all he could to help the Northern Ireland peace process during an early St Patrick's Day celebration in Washington. Mr Bush praised the `tireless` efforts of the British and Irish leaders in working for a lasting settlement as he met Irish premier Bertie Ahern at the White House.

2003-03-08 21:17:00 EST
ADAMS SLAMS SANCTIONS PLAN
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams hit out again today at Irish government backing for plans to impose sanctions on parties that contravene the Good Friday agreement. Speaking in the face of an overnight defence of Dublin`s position by Irish premier Bertie Ahern, Mr Adams also criticised moves to delay elections for a new Northern Ireland assembly.

2003-03-05 14:29:00 EST
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS POSPONED UNTIL MAY 29
Northern Ireland Assembly elections scheduled for 1 May have been postponed until 29 May to allow time for more negotiations. The talks ended late last night with the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister announcing elections would be put back by four weeks to allow parties to consult their members. However, the Ulster Unionist leader said he would not bring any document to members until the IRA moved to disarm.

2003-03-03 05:19:00 EST
PREMIERS SEEK TO CLOSE A DEAL IN BELFAST Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish taoiseach Bertie Ahern were flying into Northern Ireland today to attempt to resuscitate the North's flagging peace process. The two premiers will meet all the pro-agreement parties at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down as part of frantic efforts to restore devolution before proposed Assembly elections on May 1.

2003-02-27 14:30:00 EST
TRIMBLE 'WEAK' IN DEFENSE OF AGREEMENT
Mr Bill Flynn, chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, said in Belfast that his organisation was disappointed by Mr Trimble's handling of the peace process since receiving the prize in 1998 along with former SDLP leader Mr John Hume. See Positions in Peace Process

2003-02-27 09:34:00 EST
WE CAN'T WAIT FOREVER - AHERN
The Irish premier, Bertie Ahern, has reported progress in his talks with British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, on the Northern Ireland peace process. Speaking to reporters outside Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Ahern said there were still a shortlist of outstanding issues to be resolved. However, he said he was confident progress would be made between now and Monday when both leaders travel to the North.

2003-02-22 14:21:00 EST
UDA ANNOUNCES 12 MONTH 'PERIOD OF INACTIVITY'
The Ulster Freedom Fighters and Ulster Defence Association today announced an end to paramilitary activity for the next 12 months. The outlawed group said in a statement that its units "have begun to observe a 12-month period of military inactivity".

British security sources say the UDA is heavily involved in drug dealing and racketeering, and have blamed it for the killing of a number of Catholics in recent years. The organisation declared a ceasefire in 1994 in response to the IRA's ceasefire a few months earlier. But in late 2001, it was ruled the ceasefire had broken down after the UDA were accused of being behind a wave of pipe bomb attacks on Catholic homes.

Ulster Political Research Group member Mr Tommy Kirkham said the UDA's military cessation for a year was absolute. He said the move was motivated by the organisation's desire to go down a political path.

2003-02-20 12:54:00 EST
LOYALISTS UNDER PRESSURE TO DISARM
Loyalist paramilitaries faced new demands tonight to hand over all their pipe bombs. Even though the Ulster Defence Association in west Belfast dumped a consignment of explosives yesterday, nationalist politicians urged them to end a campaign of bombings which has terrified thousands of Catholics.

2003-02-18 10:53:00 EST
GOOD FRIDAY DEAL POSSIBLE SAYS DURKAN
Ulster Unionists and republicans must commit themselves fully to the Good Friday Agreement if devolution is to return to Northern Ireland in the next two weeks, it was claimed tonight. During a visit to Omagh in west Tyrone, nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan said he believed a deal could be struck restoring devolution in the next two weeks.

2003-02-17 12:54:00 EST
DONALDSON LAUNCHES UNIONIST UNITY PRINCIPLES Jeffrey Donaldson
Unionists in Northern Ireland need to look beyond the next elections and unite around a common approach, they were told tonight. At the launch of six Stormont Principles for unionist unity, Ulster Unionist MP Jeffery Donaldson said unionists of all backgrounds would be foolish to ignore the demand for a common strategy. See Positions in Peace Process

DUP Assembly member, Ian Paisley Junior today responded cynically to the launch of the Stormont Principles, asking why prominent Ulster Unionists were launching them so close to Assembly elections scheduled for May 1.

2003-02-13 13:33:00 EST
McLAUGHLIN ON STATE OF PEACE PROCESS Mitchel McLaughlin
Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin today outlined his party's position following yesterday's summit between the British and Irish governments and the pro-Agreement parties in Belfast. See Positions in Peace Process

"In the almost five years since Good Friday 1998, the political institutions, in a clear breach of the Agreement, have been functioning for less than half of that time. On four separate occasions, at the behest of the UUP leadership, the British government has suspended them," said McLaughlin.

2003-02-12 13:45:00 EST
NO CONCLUSIONS AT BELFAST SUMMIT
The Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minster Tony Blair have hosted a round of talks with pro-Belfast Agreement parties at Hillsborough Castle in an effort to re-establish the North's power-sharing institutions. The two leaders said tonight they were hoping to see progress by March 3rd to overcome the stalling peace process.

The two leaders said they would meet again in less than three weeks' time to finalise a possible agreement between the parties. A primary goal for the talks was to salvage the Stormont assembly and power-sharing executive, which was suspended last October 14th, plunging the 1998 Belfast Agreement into crisis.

2003-02-07 08:21:00 EST
WHITE VOWES TO RUTURN TO NORTHERN IRELAND
Johnny 'Mad Dog' Adair's closest associate today vowed to defy the loyalist paramilitaries who drove him out of Belfast and return to Northern Ireland. "I`ll be back when I consider it appropriate," declared John White who fled to Scotland after being warned he would be shot.

2003-02-06 14:48:00 EST
MURPHY CONFIDENT DEVOLUTION WILL BE RESTORED Paul Murphy
Northern Ireland is within reach of new era of peace and stability, the Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said tonight. As Irish and British officials continued to work on a formula for breaking the political deadlock, Mr Murphy told the Dublin Chamber of Commerce he was "confident" the Assembly and power-sharing institutions could be restored.

2003-02-06 11:05:00 EST
ADAIR SUPPORTERS FLEE TO SCOTLAND
The jailed loyalist paramilitary leader Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair was left isolated today after his family and supporters were driven out of Belfast in a bitter paramilitary feud. Adair was told his wife Gina and close associate Mr John White were among a group who fled to Scotland after homes were attacked at his former powerbase in the city's Lower Shankill area.

Read the full stories at The Irish American Information Service

February 2003:
Positions in Peace Process

Mr Bill Flynn, chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (2003-02-27):
  • Full implementation of the Belfast Agreement;
  • A straightforward statement from all paramilitary groups that the war is over, along with agreement on the full decommissioning of their weaponry;
  • Normalisation of British military forces, armaments and installations to agreed peacetime levels;
  • Full implementation of the Patten Commission (on policing) recommendations;
  • Unconditional support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
  • Full restoration of the Northern Ireland Government and all other institutions provided for in the Belfast Agreement;
  • Amendment of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act of 1998 to eliminate or severely restrict the power to suspend the Northern Ireland governmental institutions called for and established under the Belfast Agreement;
  • Participation of all political parties in the development and implementation of a Bill of Rights;
  • Holding of elections as scheduled;
  • Establishment of a Northern Ireland Peace Commission to monitor those issues agreed upon but not capable of instant implementation.
The principles promoted by the Friends of the Union lobby group, set out six guidelines for all unionists. They demand (2003-02-17):
  • The total disarmament and disbandment of paramilitary organisations and full support for the police and rule of law
  • People of Northern Ireland should have the right to determine their own constitutional and political future free from any pressure from outside the United Kingdom
  • The promotion of the union as the best means of achieving a tolerant society, guaranteeing equality of all people regardless of race, religion or political belief
  • The right of the people of Northern Ireland to have good government based upon equality and respect for human rights, with greater collective responsibility in the devolved executive and more transparent and accountable arrangements for co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic
  • The right of all citizens in Northern Ireland to be involved in the governance of Northern Ireland at a full and equal level, with all sides committing themselves to exclusively peaceful and democratic means
  • That no party linked to a paramilitary organisation should be involved in a devolved executive or on the Northern Ireland Policing Board, or District Policing Partnerships.

The Northern Ireland 2001 Census

The raw, unadjusted data for the 2001 census shows the Protestant/Catholic breakdown to be approximately 46% to 40%. This 6% spread is in stark contrast to the 1991 census which showed a 58% Protestant population and a 42% Catholic population.

The overall religious balance is recorded as 43.76% Catholic and 53.13% Protestant and other related Christian denominations. The remainder is made up of 0.39% who belong to "other religions and philosophies" and 2.72% who cannot be allocated.

In the 2001 census, 14 per cent of respondents did not state their religion or said they had none. However, the census officials have adjusted the raw data to try to indicate which community these 14% came from, taking indicators such as addresses into account. Following their adjustments, the Census officials have ascribed between seven and eight percentage points to the Protestant community while Catholics increased by between three and four points. If the adjustments are accurate, this would mean that the Protestant/Catholic breakdown would be at 53/44%, a difference of 9% as opposed to a difference of 6% in the unadjusted data.


Nice Referendum '02
Saturday, October 19, 2002:

FINAL RESULTS:
YES: 62.89 per cent
NO: 37.11 per cent.

DEVOLUTION SUSPENDED
Monday, October 14, 2002:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland suspended the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive with effect from midnight on 14 October, 2002.

The Secretary of State, assisted by his team of Northern Ireland Office Ministers has assumed responsibility for the direction and control of the Northern Ireland Departments.

Speech by Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, at the Harbour Commisssioners' Offices in Belfast, 17 October 2002. Read the full text.


References in English  

Irish Proclamation of Freedom Read by Patrick Pearse from the Steps of the General Post Office, Dublin, Ireland on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916

The Irish Government, June 1997:
Bloody Sunday and the Report of the Widgery Tribunal

Full text of the Good Friday Agreement, April 10, 1998.

Investigation into the human rights in Northern Ireland, September 29, 1998
Statement by Rosemary Nelson, solicitor for Garvaghy Road residents

Nobel Peace Price Award, December 11, 1998:
Nobel Address by David Trimble, First Minister and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
Nobel Address by John Hume, leader of the catholic SDLP

George Mitchell's Peace Principles, November 1999:
Statements of November 16 and 17, 1999, by Ulster Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, Progressive Unionist Party and IRA
George Mitchell's statement, November 18, 1999

Suspension of Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. February 2000:
Decommissioning reports, Mandelson in House of Commons, IRA statements

Peace process resumed. May 2000
British-Irish joint statement and IRA statement.
Arms inspector's report

Two versions of Irish history

Abortion Referendum March 7, 2002

IRA Statement on Decommissioning April 8, 2002

IAIS Election Analysis 2002

Speech by Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, at the Harbour Commisssioners' Offices in Belfast, 17 October 2002.


An Irish bookshop: Read Ireland

Danish Irish Society

Wesley Johnston's History of Ireland
Ireland History in Maps
Irish History on the Web

The CAIN Project (The Northern Ireland Conflict) Danish Irish Society
The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland

Sinn Féin Homepage
Ulster Unionist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party
Fine Gael
Ulster Democratic Unionist Party, DUP
Fianna Fáil
Ulster Democratic Party
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Progressive Unionist Party
Ulster Nation
The Social Democratic and Labour Party

The Irish Times
The Wild Geese (USA) Irish soldiers in exile



December 16, 2001  Top

About my homepage

Since my first visit to Ireland the history of Ireland was a puzzle to me. Why has this beautiful country with its charming and hospitable population become the arena of a never-ending conflict? Differences in religion, language, race or culture gave no reasonable explanation. Which coincidence has caused so much suffering in Ireland while other countries such as Denmark had nothing but trifles to quarrel about?

I started reading about Ireland and about its history in order to understand just a bit of the Irish paradoxes. Although I started from the very beginning the matter was still incomprehensible. I therefore began to write down the headlines in Danish.

In 1998 when I got my own website I wondered what to put there. My family, my career or my garden could not attract much attention. But my Danish survey of the history of Ireland would be different from most other websites, so I uploaded the whole story.

I considered my web-project to be complete by then. However the beginning of 1998 was to become a turning point in the history of Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement created optimism and a new hope of lasting peace. I therefore added new chapters on the peace agreement and on the ups and downs since then. Obviously there is still a way to go before a real peace has been achieved and right now I can't see the end of my project.

A lot of people wrote to me asking for details or references. This has proved the need for a brief Danish version of the history of Ireland. In 2001 more than 50 persons on the average have been visiting my website every day.

However about 10 % of the visitors on my website are non-Scandinavians. I have added this page in order to serve these people with some information about my project and with some of the important references.

I considered reference documents and speeches most interesting in the original English language. I also have to admit that a proper translation of the documents to Danish is not that simple. On the other hand the number of visitors to the reference pages in English has been very limited. Therefore all information in English will be concentrated in this English section of my website together with selected news.

I have no intention of making an English version of the whole story. I have neither the ability nor the capacity to write in English and several excellent sites already offer that sort of information.


E-mail me your comments and questions

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Opdateret d. 1.1.2009