ARCHIVE 2006 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
- extracted with the permission of IAIS

04/08/06 07:22 EST
NO QUESTION OF JOINT AUTHORITY - HAIN
The British and Irish governments' deadline for a deal to restore devolution in Northern Ireland will be written intoan emergency law due to be brought before British Parliament this month. Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said today that this will make the deadline rock solid. He said unionists should not be concerned about any change to NI's constitutional position if a deal on devolution cannot be achieved.

"There's no question of joint authority or anything like that," Mr Hain said. "There's no question of joint government. That would be in contravention of the referendum that that the people of Northern Ireland voted on when they endorsed the Good Friday Agreement. So there's no issue about that, it's not a constitutional matter."

04/07/06 07:02 EST
DONALDSON FAMILY LAY BLAME WITH SPECIAL BRANCH
The family of murdered British spy Denis Donaldson said today it believed the IRA's claim it had not killed the former Sinn Féin official. In a statement issued this morning through Belfast law firm Madden & Finucane, the family said the "difficult situation" it now finds itself in is a "direct result of the activities of Special Branch and British intelligence agencies". Mr Donaldson, a senior figure in the republican movement, was found shot dead in a remote Co Donegal cottage on Tuesday. He fled there after revealing in December that he had worked as a British agent inside Sinn Féin for 20 years.

Following the murder, both Dublin and London were quick to make it clear that neither government was initially pointing the finger at the mainstream republican movement, and that they did not see the killing as providing an obstacle to political development.

04/06/06 10:13 EST
BRITISH AND IRISH GOVERNMENTS' JOINT STATEMENT AND STATEMENT OF IRISH PREMIER BERTIE AHERN
Full text

04/06/06 08:21 EST
NOVEMBER DEADLINE FOR RETURN TO POWERSHARING IN NORTH
Irish premier Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have told the Northern Ireland's political parties that power sharing must by fully restored by November 24th. If this deadline is missed, the Assembly will be wound up indefinitely, elections in 2007 will be postponed and the salaries and allowances of MLAs will be cancelled. Political institutions have been suspended since October 2002. Under the latest plan, unveiled by Mr Ahern and Mr Blair in Armagh city this morning, the governments said the Assembly must meet from May 15th and attempt to form an Executive within six weeks if possible but before an absolute deadline of November 24th. The Assembly's first job will be to elect a First and Deputy First Minister and to allocate ministerial posts. As soon as the Assembly elects a First and Deputy First Minister and forms an Executive, power will automatically be devolved to the Assembly, and all its functions will be resumed. At this point the British government's power to suspend the Assembly will lapse for good. However, the governments warned the parties that this was their final chance.

04/04/06 13:42 EST
DENIS DONALDSON SHOT DEAD
The former British Intelligence agent and Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson has been shot dead at his home in Co Donegal this evening. Gardai were called to Donaldson's house in the village of Glenties, Co Donegal shortly at 5pm local time today where his body was found. It is understood that he was shot dead. Mr Donaldson was expelled from Sinn Féin last December after admitting he had been a paid British spy for 20 years. A one line statement from the IRA this evening said the organisation had "no involvement whatsoever" in Donaldson's death. Ireland's Minister for Justice Mr McDowell said he was shocked by the murder and that it would cause mutual suspicion across the Northern Ireland parties.

04/03/06 10:43 EST
WORK BEGINS ON DISMANTLING SOUTH ARMAGH SPY POSTS
Work has begun on removing the last British army spy posts in south Armagh, the British Army has said. The removal of the towers was announced in August 2005, as part of the security normalisation process. Dismantling the five towers on Camlough Mountain, Jonesborough Hill and Croslieve Hill began today. The hilltop sites will be returned to greenfield status and a "blue light" emergency services radio mast will remain on Croslieve Hill.

03/31/06 05:59 EST
EMPEY CHALLENGES BRITISH TO REVEAL ANY POLICING DEAL
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey has challenged the British Government to reveal any secret deal with Sinn Fein on policing. With his party still to declare if it will take its seats on the reformed authority which scrutinises the Police force, he warned today that a full answer to his allegations could be critical. The new Policing Board will meet for the first time next week, but the involvement of the UUP`s two representatives, MLAs Danny Kennedy and Fred Cobain, is not yet guaranteed.

03/30/06 10:55 EST
NOV 24 DEADLINE FOR RESTORATION OF ASSEMBLY
The deadline for efforts to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly has been set for 24 November, political sources have said. The date emerged after Irish premier Bertie Ahern held talks with Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Alliance Party in Dublin. Assembly members are to be called to Stormont on 15 May for a six-week period to try to form an executive. An emergency bill is also expected to be put through Westminster to change some of the Stormont rules. It is thought that the assembly would break for summer before being recalled in September for 12 weeks until the end of November.

03/21/06 09:54 EST
AHERN BELIEVES BRITISH COLLUDED IN FINUCANE MURDER
Irish premier Bertie Ahern has said that the British government intends going ahead with a restricted inquiry into the murder of Belfast attorney Pat Finucane despite the opposition of the Irish Government. Bertie Ahern told the Dáil (Irish parliament) that the Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Hain, informed him last Thursday that Britain is now seeking a judge to head the inquiry, which should get underway later this year. However, Taoiseach Ahern said that securing a chair would not be a straightforward matter as the international legal community has advised its members against accepting the position. Mr Ahern said that no matter what findings the inquiry came up with, they would not be believed, as the judge chairing it would not have full independence.

03/21/06 04:54 EST
HAIN REDUCES RED TAPE WITH QUANGO CULL IN NORTH
The British government has today announced a major cull of unelected quangoes and public bodies in an effort to reduce administrative bureaucracy in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said he was delivering on his promise to cut needless bureaucracy. The cutbacks are the final stage of a review of public administration in the North which already promises to cut the number of local councils from 26 to seven and prune the number of health and education bodies. The Secretary of State said the end result of the exercise would be a cutting in half of the number of public bodies in the North from 154 to 75. The number of executive agencies and other public bodies will be reduced from 70 to 42, he said.

03/17/06 13:48 EST
ST. PATS EVENTS IN WASHINGTON DC
Irish premier Bertie Ahern has presented the President Bush with a bowl of shamrock at the traditional St Patrick's Day ceremony in the White House. In their brief remarks at the shamrock ceremony, both Mr Bush and Mr Ahern referred to the historic links between Ireland and the United States, to the potential for progress in the peace process in Northern Ireland and to the controversial issue of immigration reform. In his speech, Mr Ahern said he hoped a path may be found to allow undocumented Irish immigrants to regularise their status in the US. Mr Bush did not respond directly on what is a contentious subject in Washington at present, but he did pointedly note that recent economic growth was now attracting immigration to Ireland.

03/15/06 16:43 EST
US POLITICIANS ALARMED ATPROPOSED MI-5 ROLE
Irish American politicians are alarmed about MI5 assuming the lead role in intelligence gathering in Northern Ireland next year, it was claimed tonight. After meeting members of the Friends of Ireland lobby group in the US Congress, nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan said he was impressed by their grasp of the issue. "At our meeting we were struck by how well informed and concerned leading Irish American Congressmen were about Tony Blair`s plans to give the faceless men of MI5 an enlarged role in the north (of Ireland)," the Foyle MP said in Washington.

03/10/06 12:53 EST
PARTY LEADERS TO BE INVITED TO WHITE HOUSE
The leaders of Northern Ireland's largest political parties are to be invited to the White House on St Patrick's Day. Last year, none of the politicians received invites following failed attempts to restore devolution and the Northern Bank robbery fall-out. An official announcement is expected from the White House later, but it is believed invitations have been extended to the main party leaders. However, it is not thought any of them will meet US President, George Bush. Invites are believed to have been issued to Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, DUP leader Ian Paisley, Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey and SDLP leader Mark Durkan. Invites have also gone to the Alliance leader David Ford and the Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine.

03/09/06 10:10 EST
HAIN ACCUSED OF INSULTING DAIL REGARDING FINUCANE
Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain was today accused of insulting the Irish parliament after he and his officials criticised a debate on the murder of human rights attorney Pat Finucane. The Irish Government and Opposition parties in the Dail (Irish parliament) united last night behind a motion accusing the British Government of going back on a pledge to hold an independent inquiry into allegations of British security force collusion in the 1989 murder by loyalists of the Belfast attorney.

03/08/06 06:44 EST
IRA IS NOT A THREAT SAYS IMC
The IRA does not present a terrorist threat or a threat to security forces, according to the latest Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report. More...

03/01/06 13:10 EST
SINN FEIN WILL REJECT DEVOLUTION-LITE
The Irish government said tonight it would not pander to the demands of any single party ahead of the restoration of the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland. After discussions with a Sinn Fein delegation, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the onus was on all parties to engage with each other rather than to shadow-box.

As speculation grew that options for a shadow assembly had been tabled, Mr Ahern revealed the British and Irish governments were considering a range of ideas to move things forward. "There will be no pandering to anyone, but we are looking at options to try in effect to bring things to a head," he said. While Irish Government sources insist London and Dublin have yet to agree the exact shape of proposals for a Shadow Assembly, it is suspected they involve the 108 Assembly Members returning to a debating chamber or possibly scrutinising the work of British ministers through committees.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said his party had very grave concerns about the proposals, insisting it was not up for discussion. "We ruled that out very, very firmly," Mr Adams said. "We ruled it out because it won't work. It is a sop to the DUP and what we need to do is to move forward on the basis of the agreement and get the institutions back in place."

02/26/06 09:26 EST
GARDAI HAD NO INTELLIGENCE ON DUBLIN VIOLENCE
The gardaí (Irish police) had no intelligence suggesting there would be trouble at yesterday's "Love Ulster" march in Dublin, Assistant Garda Commissioner Al McHugh said today. He said gardai had met the organisers of the march, Fair (Families Acting for Innocent Relatives), and were told there would be no sectarian or paramilitary banners displayed. He said the Garda knew Republican Sinn Fein were staging protest against the parade.

02/25/06 09:11 EST
WORST RIOTING IN 30 YEARS IN DUBLIN SURROUNDS LOYALIST MARCH
Dublin has witnessed its worst street violence in more than 30 years as pitched battles between riot police and rioters took place on O'Connell St and spread to Kildare St and the south quays forcing the cancellation of the loyalist "Love Ulster" march. The protest against the march quickly turned ugly after being hijacked by rioting youths. The first confrontation took place at the GPO where riot police came under fierce attack from more than three hundred people. Signposts, poles and debris from a building site on the street were thrown at gardai who slowly pushing the rioters towards O'Connell Bridge.

02/23/06 08:38 EST
CORY BLASTS BRITISH POSITION ON FINUCANE INQUIRY
Canadian Judge Peter Cory last night labelled the British government’s approach to the demand for an independent inquiry into the murder of Belfast Human Rights attorney Pat Finucane case as “Alice in Wonderland”. The Belfast-based Daily reports that Judge Cory also said he would be inclined to agree with the murdered Belfast attorney's family over their objections to the British government’s controversial Inquiries Act. Mr Finucane was murdered by the UDA in front of his family 17 years ago. RUC Special Branch and MI5 repeatedly failed to warn Mr Finucane about serious threats to his life.

02/20/06 12:12 EST
BELFAST TALKS BREAK UP AMID ACRIMONY
Plans for round-table talks by Northern Ireland political parties at Stormont have collapsed amid acrimony. The plan was to have the DUP, SDLP, UUP and Alliance at one session of talks on Monday, without Sinn Fein. This would have been followed by a second round in which Sinn Fein replaced the DUP - who have refused to sit down with the republican party. However, Sinn Fein angily rejected the plan. SF leader Gerry Adams accused the British government of pandering to the DUP.

02/16/06 08:31 EST
BILL PROPOSES DEVOLUTION OF POLICING AND JUSTICE
The British government's long-awaited Northern Ireland Bill was published today and provides for the devolution of policing and justice. Northern Secretary Peter Hain said the Bill ensures there would no legal impediment to the restoration of power sharing in the North. "This Bill is enabling legislation that covers a number of issues that, should the desire and the will present us with restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, then the legislative powers would already be in place to drive a successful Northern Ireland forward," Mr Hain said. Although the Bill makes provision for devolution, it does not automatically transfer power in the event power-sharing is restored. An Assembly motion with cross-community support for the assumption of powers would be required.

02/09/06 12:30 EST
REJECT BRITISH FINUCANE INQUIRY URGES FAMILY
The Irish Government must strongly reject a British bid to control an inquiry into the 1989 murder of Belfast human rights attorney Pat Finucane, it was said today. The Finucane family were told by Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain this week that the only way a probe could be carried out is under the restrictive Inquiries Act. Pat Finucane's son, Michael today told the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) Human Rights Sub-Committee in Dublin that this meant that those who sanctioned and covered up the killing would be investigating themselves in a sham inquiry. It would offer neither independence, accountability or transparency, he added. "The British will retain ultimate control of the inquiry mechanism," he told the all-party body.

02/08/06 12:49 EST
COMMONS RE-INSTATES SINN FEIN ALLOWANCE
Sinn Fein is to receive around GBP £500,000 (US$873,000) in House of Commons allowances after MPs passed a motion to have them restored. After a passionate debate at Westminster, MPs gave their approval to the British government's move as Ministers urged them to support Sinn Fein's efforts to bring republicanism down a path of total peace and democracy. Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain told MPs the restoration of the allowances which were suspended in March last year over allegations that the IRA was behind the GBP£26.5 million Northern Bank robbery was a democratic issue at heart.

02/06/06 09:11 EST
AHERN AND PAISLEY CLASH OVER McALEESE REMARKS
Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has had what he described as a number of "robust" exchanges with the Reverend Ian Paisley following the DUP leader's controversial weekend comments about Ireland's President, Mary McAleese. Dr Paisley told his party's annual conference on Saturday: "I don't like the President of the Irish Republic . . . because she is dishonest". He also said she hated Northern Ireland and accused her of breaching diplomatic protocol and being hostile to the PSNI. At a meeting in Hillsborough Castle this afternoon, Mr Ahern told Dr Paisley his remarks were "unacceptable, unwarranted and untrue".

02/06/06 04:35 EST
DEVOLUTION TALKS BEGIN IN HILLSBOROUGH
Talks exploring how to restore a devolved assembly are taking place between the British and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties. Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain and Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern are chairing the talks at Hillsborough outside Belfast. Expectations are low after last week's highly contentious Independent Monitoring Commission allegations on continuing IRA activity.

ARCHIVE

Read the full stories at The Irish American Information Service

IAIS 03/22/06 03:44 EST
BLAIR COMMENT PROVOKES UNIONIST OUTRAGE
British prime minister Tony Blair has provoked unionist fury by comparing Islamist extremists with Protestant killers in Northern Ireland. Mr Blair was accused of character assassination after making the reference during a speech on global terrorism and religious intolerance.

In an impassioned defence of his foreign policy, he insisted Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan was a clash about civilisation rather than between civilisations. Mr Blair also said ministers have been advised against using the phrase Islamist extremist.

He told the Foreign Policy Centre in London last night: "There are those - perfectly decent-minded people - who say the extremists who commit these acts of terrorism are not true Muslims. And of course, they are right. They are no more proper Muslims than the Protestant bigot who murders a Catholic in Northern Ireland is a proper Christian. But unfortunately he is still a Protestant bigot. To say his religion is irrelevant is both completely to misunderstand his motive and to refuse to face up to the strain of extremism within his religion that has given rise to it."

The comparison outraged Ian Paisley Jr, a Democratic Unionist member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. He said today: "This is a studied insult of the Protestant community." Mr Paisley claimed Mr Blair had ignored decades of republican violence as he focused on one side of Northern Ireland's religious divide.

"The Prime Minister's comments singling out Protestantism as a root cause of terrorism is so unbalanced that it not only reveals the true nature of the Prime Minister but also identifies a weakness in his judgments, his character and his understanding," he said. "He has singularly failed to point the finger at the IRA, and the Roman Catholic Church that refused to condemn years of IRA terrorism. Why is the Prime Minister so biased when it comes to understanding Northern Ireland? Why does he feel it necessary to attack the character and identity of the majority of citizens who are loyal and indeed victims of IRA terrorists? This deliberate character assassination of the Protestant community is a disgraceful, ill-thought-out and indeed provocative attack on a community that does not deserve to be labelled in the false and unacceptable manner that he has done. The PM has revealed that he is nothing more than a charlatan and liar and cannot be regarded as a person who can even begin to understand the situation in Northern Ireland."


IAIS 03/08/06 06:44 EST
9TH IMC REPORT ON SECURITY NORMALISATION
The ninth IMC report, which deals with the program of security normalisation published by the British government last year, restates the commission's belief that the IRA "has taken a strategic decision to follow a political path".

The commission said that the organisation had instructed its members not to engage in public disorder and added that any illegal activity engaged in by the organisation or its members could now be effectively handled by the PSNI without any need for military assistance.

But the report warned that dissident republicans continued to represent a significant threat to the security forces and the public. It said that dissidents' capacity to mount "a sustained campaign" was limited but that they were "prepared to resort to extreme violence".

It pointed out that none of the loyalist groups have taken political decisions similar to that of the IRA but said that it did not consider these groups a significant threat to the security forces.

Loyalist paramilitary groups were, however, heavily involved in the drugs trade and other forms of organised crime, it added.

The report claimed that the British government had fulfilled its commitments under the security normalisation programme but noted that the authorities continued to take account of the security threat.

Measures undertaken as part of the normalisation process have so far included a reduction in the number of British troops by nearly 900 to just over 9,200; the withdrawal of the army from five of the 10 joint PSNI/army bases; the closure of Forkhill Army Base, and the removal or demolition of a number of towers and observation posts.

Ireland's Minister for Justice Michael McDowell welcomed the British government's progress on normalisation and said that it demonstrated both governments' commitment to advancing the peace process in "unequivocal fashion". The IRA movement should respond by fully engaging with policing structures in the North, he added.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain also welcomed the progress on normalisation but said he would not hesitate to act if the security situation changed for the worse.

Full test of Ninth IMC Report
Links to all IMC Reports


27 January 2006
1916 LEADERS SOUGHT INCLUSIVE IRELAND SAYS McALEESE
"The kind of Ireland the heroes of the 1916 Irish Rising aspired to was based on an inclusivity that would 'cherish all the children of the nation equally'" President Mary McAleese said in an address to a conference in Cork today.

"In the hearts of those who took part in the Rising, in what was then an undivided Ireland, was an unshakable belief that whatever our personal political or religious perspectives, there was huge potential for an Ireland in which loyalist, republican, unionist, nationalist, catholic, protestant, atheist, agnostic pulled together to build a shared future, owned by one and all," Mrs McAleese said.

The President said that there was a tendency for "powerful and pitiless elites" to "dismiss with damning labels" those who oppose them, explaining accusations that the 1916 Rising was an exclusive and sectarian enterprise.

She said those who took part in the Rising were "attempting to establish a free country in which we ourselves could take responsibility for our own destiny, a country that could stand up for itself, have its own distinct perspective, pull itself up by its bootstraps, and be counted with respect, among the free nations of Europe and the world."

See full text of the President's speech at the University College Cork conference.


26 January 2006
Joint Statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
We met today to consider the way ahead in relation to Northern Ireland.

Since the Agreement there has been, and continues to be, very significant progress in Northern Ireland - a period of unprecedented peace, prosperity and growth. Along with those opportunities, however, Northern Ireland also faces a number of significant economic and social challenges. It cannot afford either complacency or prolonged stalemate.

We strongly believe, therefore, that the interests of everyone in Northern Ireland, and throughout these islands, are best served by the earliest practicable restoration of the devolved institutions.

Decisions that affect the people of Northern Ireland should be taken by locally elected representatives exercising their rights and responsibilities in fully functioning democratic institutions, including the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, and North/South structures.

2006 is the decisive year for this process. On 6 February talks will begin with the aim of setting out the arrangements and timetable for the restoration of the institutions, which, of course, we want to see as soon as possible.

We recognize, given the previous breakdown in confidence in the process, that this is an ambitious goal. The Independent Monitoring Commission has a key role to play and the Governments look forward to receiving its next report in the coming days, as well as its further report in April.

We also acknowledge the ongoing work of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in dealing with the issue of paramilitary weapons.

We believe the parties must also take the necessary steps to allow that trust to be rebuilt - steps that, more than just the passage of time, will rebuild confidence.

This requires that promises made are borne out by actions, and that the strategic decision to commit in a full and verified way to exclusively peaceful and democratic means is being reflected in reality, whatever the practical difficulties involved after such a long period of conflict.

But trust and confidence also requires the parties to take an active role by discussing the issues affecting the future of Northern Ireland together. The Governments believe that now is the time for the parties to engage in that collective discussion.

It is also essential that through dialogue and engagement progress is made in extending active support across all sections of the community for the new policing arrangements throughout Northern Ireland so that no individual or community is denied their rightful access to police protection.

So, too, all those involved in the issues of parades need to join together to ensure that the annual disputes associated with the marching season become a thing of the past.

In that context, both governments will respond positively to those seeking genuine efforts at transformation within loyalism. In particular, we call on those with influence to help bring loyalist paramilitary and criminal activity to an end, and to encourage the full de-commissioning of loyalist weapons. As we move towards devolved Government, we are determined that the process must leave nobody behind.

We are conscious of the responsibilities that the Governments bear. We are fully prepared to exercise those responsibilities. However we are convinced that those best placed to lay the foundations for a prosperous, peaceful and shared future are the political parties themselves. We encourage them to embrace this challenge, and by doing so this year to complete the transition to peace and prosperity so long desired by the people of Northern Ireland.


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.

Inspection of IRA weapons dumps, June 2000
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.

Independent International Commission on Decommissioning
Report, October 23, 2001
Report, April 8, 2002
Report, October 21, 2003
Report, September 26, 2005 - Confirming complete decommissioning
Joint statement by the British and Irish governments

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
Fifth report - May 2005
Sixth report - September 2005
Seventh report - October 2005
Eighth report - February 2006
Ninth report - March 2006

Work Programme of the Irish Presidency, 2004.


An Irish bookshop: Read Ireland

Danish Irish Society

Wesley Johnston's History of Ireland
Ireland History in Maps
North West Ireland - Gaoth Dobhair

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

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry
BLOODY SUNDAY 26 Years On ...
BBC News Bloody Sunday Inquiry
CAIN Web Service 'Bloody Sunday', Derry 30 January 1972

Sinn Féin Homepage
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 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