12/26/04 09:10 EST
PSNI REFUSE HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF OMAGH MEETING
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission chief Mr Brice Dickson was refused a meeting with police to discuss their investigation into the Omagh bomb atrocity, it was revealed today. With the British and Irish governments under increasing pressure to agree demands for a full public inquiry into the August 1998 attack which left 29 people dead, outraged victims' relatives hit out at the decision to turn down Professor Dickson's request for talks.
12/25/04 16:58 EST
McALEESE CALLS FOR TRUST AND FAITH IN PROCESS
The Irish President Mrs Mary McAleese has today called for those involved in the Northern Ireland peace process "at this crucial time" to have the trust and the faith to complete "this journey of healing and reconciliation".
In her first Christmas Day message of her new term, Mrs McAleese said the backbone of Ireland's strong civic society was "a unique tradition of robust, energetic, caring communities built and sustained by voluntary effort".
"The past year was an exceptional one in Ireland when history placed us at the center of the enlargement of the European Union, as hosts of that wonderful Day of Welcomes for the ten new member states. Now the citizens of the twenty-five partner states set out on a shared journey to a peaceful and prosperous future."
She noted that while many in Ireland had experienced a dramatic growth in prosperity she asked that people "renew their commitment to one another and especially to those who are still struggling". "The Irish have a legendary capacity for generosity - may each of us wherever we are honor that tradition this Christmastide," she said.
12/16/04 11:43 EST
AHERN AND BLAIR TO MEET IN BRUSSELS
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish premier Bertie Ahern are to meet tonight in Brussels to discuss the failure of both governments to reach a deal. The premiers are expected to agree that a renewed effort will be made to salvage the deal in the New Year.
The meeting comes as Sinn Fein dismissed DUP leader Ian Paisley`s claim that the IRA is considering destroying its weapons without photographic evidence. Sinn Féin has called on both the British and Irish governments to stop "allowing Ian Paisley to raise the bar continuously" on the matter of IRA decommissioning.
12/15/04 14:41 EST
PAISLEY WANTS IRA NOT TO DECOMMISSION WITHOUT PHOTOS
The DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley tonight warned that any move by the IRA to decommission without photographic evidence would have "very serious consequences" for the Northern Ireland peace process. Speaking after talks with Irish and British Government officials at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down the Democratic unionist leader warned his party could pull out of a major plan for restoring devolution in Northern Ireland if there was no visual evidence.
He said recent negotiations had been "in the context of complete verifiable and transparent decommissioning". Even though General John de Chastelain's Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) is ready to witness the guns being dismantled, Mr Paisley insisted nothing short of photos would convince him that the IRA was gone forever.
12/13/04 16:18 EST
CONFUSION OVER DUP POSITION WITH IRISH GOVERNMENT
There is confusion tonight as to whether the DUP will engage with a Irish Government delegation to Hillsborough Castle later this week for talks involving Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary and the other parties. Earlier today the DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley reacted furiously to comments from the Taoiseach that demands for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning were "unworkable".
He responded that the DUP would withdraw from all contact with the Government which he accused of trying to "double-cross" his party. Mr Paisley declared: "We have cut off from today, all connections with the southern government in talks. As far as we are concerned, he [Mr Ahern] is a man that can't be trusted".
12/11/04 11:07 EST
FRESH ELECTIONS AN OPTION SAYS MURPHY
New Assembly elections could be called in Northern Ireland if the DUP and Sinn Féin fail to reach agreement on a peace deal, it emerged today. The British Secretary of State for the North, Mr Paul Murphy, today admitted the option of restoring the Stormont Assembly had not been ruled out. "If after six weeks, the parties in the Assembly can't come up with an executive, can't come up with a First Minister and a Deputy First Minister, then they are required to go back to the people for another election," he said.
12/08/04 20:25 EST
IRA ISSUES STATEMENT DETAILING POSITION
The IRA has issued a statement following the failure to revive the powersharing assembly in Northern Ireland. The statement outlines what was on offer from the IRA in the context of an overall political settlement. It confirms that the IRA was prepared to decommission all weapons by December of this year and, in effect, stand down the army in return for a comprehensive settlement within the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
12/08/04 12:34 EST
DEAL FALLS OVER DUP DEMAND FOR DECOMMISSIONING PHOTOS
The IRA gave the Irish and British governments a commitment to undertake complete decommissioning and follow peaceful means in a landmark deal to revive power sharing in Northern Ireland. The deal failed when the DUP insisted on photographic evidence of IRA weapons decommissioning. Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Adams said the IRA would not submit to the "humiliation" demanded by Rev Ian Paisley.
The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister held at a press conference at Belfast's Waterfront Hall this afternoon at which they released the 23-page formula they were working on to revive the Stormont Executive and Assembly until hopes of a deal were dashed. They outlined the committments made to them by the various parties and released the statements they expected the IRA, DUP and International Independent Commission on Decommissioning would have made in the event of a deal being secured. Mr Tony Blair said that despite the failure of the deal, "considerable progress" had been made. Talks began in Britain today between Northern Irish parties and the Irish and British governments. The talks, being held at Leeds Castle in Kent, are an attempt by both governments to bring the Northern Executive and Assembly back on track by next January. The governments are hopeful a deal can be done.
12/07/04 11:29 EST
PAISLEY TO REJECT GOVERNMENTS PROPOSALS
The prospect of agreement this week on a return to power-sharing in Northern Ireland looks less likely now as it is understood Ian Paisley's DUP is sticking to its demands for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning. The Sinn Fein leadership said it had been to see the IRA but insisted there could be "no humiliation" in the process. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Irish premier Bertie Ahern are expected in Belfast tomorrow to make an announcement on the latest phase of the troubled process, but progress may have stopped just short of the deal needed to restore the power sharing executive at Stormont.
12/06/04 12:12 EST
IRA MUST ACCEPT HUMILIATION SAYS PAISLEY
The IRA must accept publication of photographs of the decommissioning of its weapons if it wants power-sharing restored in Northern Ireland, Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said tonight. Following talks in Downing Street with Tony Blair, Dr Paisley said there had to be clear proof that the IRA had given up its weapons if it wanted a deal on the restoration of devolved government.
"If you sin publicly you have to repent publicly," he told reporters afterwards.
12/03/04 15:35 EST
PREMIERS GIVE PARTIES 4 DAYS TO CONCLUDE DEAL
The Irish premier and the British Prime Minister have given the peace process four days to reach a breakthrough. Bertie Ahern, speaking at a celebration to mark his 10th anniversary as leader of Fianna Fail, said ongoing negotiations had been an "exhaustive effort" but that the work was now done and decisions had to be made by the parties involved. "Tony Blair and myself have to call it, to be precise, in four days", he said. Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, and DUP leader the Reverend Ian Paisley have been engaged in intense talks in recent days as the bid to restore power-sharing institutions in the North moved towards an historic breakthrough.
11/29/04 13:43 EST
NEGOTIATIONS ENTER CRITICAL PHASE IN NORTH
A Sinn Féin delegation, including the party's president, Mr Gerry Adams, is to meet Irish premier Bertie Ahern in Dublin tomorrow as efforts to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland intensify. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader the Rev Ian Paisley is to meet the British Prime Minister Tony Blair tomorrow. Earlier, Mr Adams held an unprecedented meeting with PSNI chief constable, Mr Hugh Orde, while Mr Paisley met with General John de Chastelain of the Independent International Commission for Decommissioning (IICD).
11/27/04 08:19 EST
FINUCANE FAMILY REJECTS TAKING PART IN INQUIRY
The family of murdered Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane tonight ruled out taking part in the British Government's inquiry into his controversial killing if legislation setting it up remained the same. Following the publication of a proposed bill setting up the tribunal, the family expressed deep concern that it would not have the full power to compel witnesses and documents.
11/26/04 19:53 EST
PARTIES CONSULT ON GOVERNMENTS' BLUEPRINT
Efforts to strike a comprehensive Northern Ireland political deal have intensified with the intervention of President George Bush. But it will be Tuesday at the earliest before it is known if an agreement is possible that would see the return of the Northern Executive and Assembly. The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, tonight briefed the party's 80 to 100-member ruling executive on the British and Irish governments' slightly modified blueprint for a solution, which was presented to Sinn Féin and the DUP this afternoon.
11/24/04 04:03 EST
PARTIES IN LONDON FOR FINAL PUSH FOR DEAL
The Irish premier Bertie Ahern and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair will today meet unionists and nationalists in London on what has been billed as the most critical talks in the current negotiations to revive power sharing in Northern Ireland. Mr Ahern and Mr Blair will meet after holding a series of meetings with the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, Sinn Fein, the nationalist SDLP and the Ulster Unionists.
11/19/04 13:50 EST
HOPES RISE OF BREAKTHROUGH IN NORTH
Northern Ireland's politicians were tonight preparing for another week of intense negotiations as hopes of a significant peace process breakthrough rose. Sources close to the talks to revive power sharing at Stormont said progress was being made in bridging the gaps between the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein.
11/14/04 15:12 EST
UDA PLEDGE TO WORK TOWARDS DISARMAMENT
Northern Ireland's largest loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association today pledged to end all violence and work towards complete disarmament. The announcement was made by Mr Tommy Kirkham of the Ulster Political Research group, the political representative of the UDA. Mr Kirkham, speaking to more than 2,000 UDA members in the loyalist Rathcoole estate on the northern outskirts of Belfast, said: "From today we are prepared to move into a process. Our commitment to that process will be to work towards a day when there is no longer a need for an UDA and a UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters)."
11/12/04 14:10 EST
BRITISH GOV.T TO RECOGNISE UDA CEASEFIRE
The British government tonight officially recognised the Ulster Defence Association's ceasefire in a new move to boost the Northern Ireland peace process. Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy decided to give the North`s biggest loyalist paramilitary organisation another chance to prove its credentials after receiving assurances that it would end the violence. He said: "I am persuaded that UDA is now prepared to go down a different road, moving away from its paramilitary past."
11/08/04 10:44 EST
AHERN PLEADS WITH DUP TO MAKE DEAL
Irish premier Bertie Ahern today gave his strongest indication yet that the IRA may be on track to decommission its weapons by the end of the year. He said it would be an "enormous tragedy" if a breakthrough in the peace process was not made within the next two weeks and urged all parties to make a concerted effort to reach agreement.
11/04/04 10:25 EST
SINN FEIN ATTACKS CREDIBILITY OF IMC REPORT
Sinn Féin has dismissed the latest 'Independent' Monitoring Commission's (IMC) report on paramilitary activity in the North. The report, which was published today, claimed the IRA is showing "no signs" of winding down. But Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast Mr Gerry Kelly said: "Reports produced by the IMC are based solely on material provided by the securocrats within the Special Branch, MI5 and British Military Intelligence. All of these organisations are opposed to the peace process and opposed to the Good Friday Agreement and previous reports have already been exposed as riddled with inaccuracies,'" he said.
10/28/04 08:56 EST
AHERN ON STATE OF DEVOLUTION TALKS
Political parties in Northern Ireland were today warned talks to restart the devolved institutions must soon bring results. Irish Premier Bertie Ahern said progress was being made on several burning issues but it was time to take the final steps to re-establish the Stormont Assembly in Belfast. Mr Ahern said all sides were frustrated by difficult issues of decommissioning, policing and paramilitarism, but that talks would go on. "We can`t go on indefinitely but we`re not at the stage of calling it just yet," Mr Ahern said.
10/21/04 16:02 EST
AHERN WILL BACK FINUCANE FAMILY ON DEMAND FOR FULL INQUIRY
Irish premier Bertie Ahern today pledged to support the family of murdered Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, should they not back a limited inquiry into his killing, it was claimed today. Mr Finucane`s widow and her two sons told Bertie Ahern this afternoon that they would not co-operate with anything other than a full public inquiry. The British government is due to publish proposals next month on an inquiry into the 1989 murder - as recommended by Canadian judge Peter Cory. But Northern Secretary Paul Murphy has already said that parts of the inquiry may be held in private to protect matters of British national security.
10/18/04 12:42 EST
REPORTS OF MOVEMENT IN PEACE PROCESS
A breakthrough in the Northern Ireland political process may be just weeks away, Northern Ireland's secretary of state has said. Paul Murphy said he thought the DUP was prepared to share power with Sinn Fein and a major IRA decommissioning move could be imminent.
"I would hope that we're talking about weeks rather than months," he said.
ARCHIVE
Read the full stories at The Irish American Information Service
Proposals by the British and Irish Governments for a Comprehensive Agreement
Full text of agreement
TIMETABLE
Tuesday 7 December
Wednesday 8 December
December
January
February
March
Early Summer
The Agreement would unfold as follows:
* by 18:00 DUP and Sinn Féin confirm their agreement to the Governments.
* IICD confirms to Governments that it can proceed on the basis of Annex D.
* 09:00 Joint Government Statement issued.
* 10:00 IRA Statement released (Attached C).
* 11:00 IICD Statement released (Attached D).
* 12:00 DUP Statement (Attached E).
* 13:00 Sinn Féin Statement on policing released (Attached F).
* 14:30 Prime Ministers hold press conference in Belfast.
* Emergency legislation to enable a Shadow Assembly
* IICD announces commencement of decommissioning process
* Secretary of State for Northern Ireland convenes meeting of all MLAs
* Secretary of State engages in consultations with parties and announces arrangements for an infrastructure investment seminar involving parties to be represented in the Executive
* Parties indicate who their candidates for FM/DFM will be
* Secretary of State further consults with parties and announces arrangements for an independently facilitated forum on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland including details of independent facilitator
* IICD report confirms 100% (end-month) of IRA arms decommissioned
* IMC Interim Report
* Shadow Assembly established
* Secretary of State for Northern Ireland arranges meetings with prospective First Minister and Deputy First Minister
* Establishment of shadow Assembly committees to consider modalities for devolution of Criminal Justice and Policing and preparations for government (including the draft Ministerial Code, draft Programme for Government and other preparatory issues needing discussion).
* Enactment of necessary legislation on Strands 1-3
* IMC report
* British Government lifts suspension
* Agreement reached on modalities for devolution of Criminal Justice and Policing
* FM/DFM and Executive confirmed by the Assembly
* Plenary meeting of NSMC
* Plenary meeting of BIC
* British Government introduces legislation giving effect to devolution of criminal justice and policing. Legislation to come into effect once sufficient confidence has been established, as expressed in a cross-community vote in the Assembly, proposed by First and Deputy First Minister.
Monday 20 September 2004
Parties genuine about reaching agreement
Northern Ireland’s political parties are genuine about trying to resolve the outstanding issues from the three days of intensive talks at Leeds Castle, Secretary of State Paul Murphy has said.
The parties will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) at Parliament Buildings with Paul Murphy and Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen to discuss unresolved issues around Strands I, II and III of the Agreement.
Progress was made during the talks at Leeds Castle and the two Governments issued a Joint Statement on Saturday which said that they believed the issue of arms in politics in Northern Ireland can finally be resolved.
Possible changes to the three strands of the Good Friday Agreement will be discussed this week but the Governments Joint Statement made it clear that what is on offer now is “reasonable in its substance and historic in its meaning”.
Speaking this morning, Secretary of State Paul Murphy said: “The talks at the weekend did not fail, we didn’t complete them and we need to finalise them.
“I’m not saying that we’re not facing difficult decisions, difficult negotiations over details and we’re going to start them tomorrow in Parliament Buildings. The accountability issue is something which the parties will have to address.
“We as Governments are going to try and see whether we can come up with formulas which can provide a compromise so that people can work through it.
“But I have a very strong feeling, having been in Leeds Castle for the past three days, that parties are going, genuinely, to try and sort these issues out.”
Saturday 18 September 2004
Joint statement by the British and Irish governments at Leeds Castle, Kent
After three days of intensive discussion we believe we can resolve the issues to do with ending paramilitary activity and putting weapons beyond use. However, as a matter of urgency all parties need to conduct consultations on the possible agreement, before we can proceed. But subject to a satisfactory outcome to these consultations, we can finally and at long last resolve the issues of arms in the politics of Northern Ireland, thereby allowing the two governments to implement all the remaining elements of the Joint Declaration, agreed last year.
There is, however, not yet comprehensive agreement on how to change Strands I, II and III of the Good Friday Agreement without damaging the fundamentals of the fair and inclusive basis of the Agreement, although we believe the parties are close. Discussions will continue between the parties supported by Paul Murphy and Brian Cowen next week to bring them to an early conclusion. But let us make one thing clear. The Governments believe that what is on offer now is reasonable in its substance and historic in its meaning. We are determined to move ahead. On the one hand there must be the complete end to violence in all its forms. On the other there must be a genuine, lasting and stable commitment to power-sharing. If agreement cannot be reached, when it is clear it should be, we will find a different way to move this process forward.
Programme of the Irish Presidency
That is the theme of the Irish Presidency and this is reflected in the Work Programme for the Irish Presidency.
The Irish Presidency will see the historic enlargement of the European Union to include ten new Member States on 1 May 2004. This event marks an historic ending of the post-war division of Europe and it is important that this opportunity is taken to bring all Europeans together to build a better Europe for us all.
The Irish Presidency Programme has been drawn up in the context of the Multi-Annual Strategic Programme for 2004-2006 and the Operational Programme for the Council for 2004 which has been drawn up by the Irish and Dutch Presidencies.
The Irish Presidency Programme identifies four priority objectives. These are:
A successful enlargement of the EU to include 10 new Member States; Working Together for Economic Growth, with emphasis on pursuing the Lisbon Strategy to make Europe the most competitive economy in the world; A Safer Union, by developing the Union as an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice; Global Engagement with the Outside World. The EU will work towards the promotion of a fairer, peaceful and more secure world.
Source: www.eu2004.ie
If you wish to read the Irish Presidency programme in full, please click on the document below.
Work Programme of the Irish Presidency
Whips have an important role in party business within Parliament, par-ticularly when the voting strengths of the main parties are close, as in the 1992-1997 parliament. For major votes it is imperative for government and opposition to maximise the turnout, and the Whips try to ensure that every member from their party turns out to vote.
The duties of Whips include:
* keeping MPs and peers informed of forthcoming parliamentary busi-ness
* maintaining the party's voting strength by ensuring members attend important debates and support their party in parliamentary divisions
* passing on to the party leadership the opinions of backbench mem-bers.
The term 'whip' also applies to the weekly circular sent out by each Chief Whip to all their MPs or peers notifying them of parliamentary business.
Source: The UK Parliament
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.
Inspection of IRA weapons dumps, June 2000
Arms inspector's report
Abortion Referendum March 7, 2002
IRA Statement on Decommissioning April 8, 2002
Speech by Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, at the Harbour Commisssioners' Offices in Belfast, 17 October 2002.
Programme for reaching a normal security end-state by April 2005
Joint declaration by the British and the Irish governments, May 2003
Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC):
First report - May 2004
Second report - July 2004
Third report - November 2004
Fourth report - February 2005
Work Programme of the Irish Presidency, 2004.
An Irish bookshop: Read Ireland
Wesley Johnston's History of Ireland
The CAIN Project (The Northern Ireland Conflict)
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry
The CAIN Project (The Northern Ireland Conflict)
Sinn Féin Homepage
The Irish Times
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
Ireland History in Maps
North West Ireland - Gaoth Dobhair
BLOODY SUNDAY 26 Years On ...
BBC News Bloody Sunday Inquiry
CAIN Web Service 'Bloody Sunday', Derry 30 January 1972
Irish History on the Web
North West Ireland - Gaoth Dobhair
The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
Ulster Unionist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party
Fine Gael
Ulster Democratic Unionist Party, DUP
Fianna Fáil
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Progressive Unionist Party
Ulster Nation
The Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Wild Geese (USA) Irish soldiers in exile
Visit Danish Irish Society
December 16, 2001 Top
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?