Anglo-Irish Agreement | United Kingdom-Ireland [1985] | Britannica.com United Kingdom-Ireland [1985] United Kingdom Anglo-Irish Agreement, accord signed by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Garret FitzGerald , the Irish taoiseach (prime minister), on Nov. 15, 1985, at Hillsborough Castle in County Down, N.Ire., that gave the government of Ireland an official consultative role in the affairs of Northern Ireland . Considered one of the most significant developments in British-Irish relations since the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the agreement provided for regular meetings between ministers in the Irish and British governments on matters affecting Northern Ireland. It outlined cooperation in four areas: political matters; security and related issues; legal matters, including the administration of justice; and the promotion of cross-border cooperation.

Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister), Garret FitzGerald, and British Prime Minister Margaret … Peter Kemp/AP The road to the Anglo-Irish Agreement The agreement was negotiated as a move toward easing long-standing tension between Britain and Ireland on the subject of Northern Ireland, although Northern Irish unionists (those in favour of remaining part of the United Kingdom ) were themselves strongly opposed to giving their southern neighbour a say in domestic matters. Many political leaders—including Thatcher, who had been strongly committed to British sovereignty in Northern Ireland—had come to believe that a solution to years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland could only be achieved by means of an all-Ireland arrangement. Such an attempt had previously been made in 1973. A power-sharing executive, composed of Irish nationalists as well as unionists, was set up in Northern Ireland, and Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave participated in talks with British Prime Minister Edward Heath that resulted in the Sunningdale Agreement . That accord recognized that Northern Ireland’s relationship with Britain could not be changed without the agreement of a majority of its population, and it provided for the establishment of a Council of Ireland composed of members from both the Dáil (the lower chamber of the Irish legislature) and the Northern Ireland assembly.

That agreement collapsed in May 1974 because of a general strike inspired by unionist opponents of power sharing. Similar Topics Anti-Comintern Pact In 1981 FitzGerald launched a constitutional crusade to make the reunification of Ireland more attractive to Northern Ireland’s Protestants. At the end of the year, the Irish and British governments set up an Anglo-Irish intergovernmental council to discuss matters of common concern, especially security. In 1984 the report of the New Ireland Forum—a discussion group that included representatives of political parties in Ireland and Northern Ireland—set out three possible frameworks for political development in Ireland: a unitary state, a federal state, and joint sovereignty. Of Ireland’s major political parties, Fianna Fáil preferred a unitary state, which Fine Gael and the Irish Labour Party regarded as unrealistic; they preferred the federal option.

Also in the early 1980s, in Northern Ireland, John Hume , the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and a member of the British Parliament, gathered the support of prominent Irish American political leaders in condemning the use of violence and urging Irish Americans not to support the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a paramilitary organization that often used violent means to bring an end to British rule in Northern Ireland. Hume’s group also encouraged U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan to persuade Thatcher to pursue closer relations with Ireland. Negotiations and outcomes In the improved political climate between Britain and Ireland, leaders of the two countries sat down to negotiations. Ireland and Britain agreed that any change in the status of Northern Ireland would come about only with the consent of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland, and an intergovernmental conference was established to deal with political, security, and legal relations between the two parts of the island. The agreement was a blow to Northern Ireland’s unionists, because it established a consultative role for the government of Ireland in the affairs of Northern Ireland through the Anglo-Irish Secretariat.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and other unionists denounced the agreement, and UUP members of Parliament resigned their seats over the issue (though 14 were returned in by-elections in 1986). The party organized mass protests and boycotts of local councils and filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the agreement. However, these efforts—which were joined by the Democratic Unionist Party —failed to force abrogation of the agreement. Britannica Stories BBC ON THIS DAY | 15 | 1985: Anglo-Irish agreement signed About This Site | Text Only 1985: Anglo-Irish agreement signed Britain and the Republic of Ireland have signed a deal giving Dublin a role in Northern Ireland for the first time in more than 60 years. Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said it brought new hope of ending the violence in Northern Ireland. But Treasury minister Ian Gow - one of Mrs Thatcher's closest political allies - has resigned in protest at the deal which is also opposed by the Ulster Unionists.

In a letter, Mr Gow told Mrs Thatcher the government's change of policy on Northern Ireland would "prolong and not diminish the agony of Ulster." The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed by Margaret Thatcher and Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald at Hillsborough Castle in County Down, Northern Ireland. Inducement It sets up a framework for regular conferences between British and Irish ministers to discuss matters affecting Northern Ireland. However, if a devolved government were established in Northern Ireland, matters transferred to its power would no longer fall under the remit of the conferences. That is being seen as an inducement for unionists who want to remain part of the United Kingdom and keep Dublin at bay. But, for the first time, the British Government has officially committed to promoting legislation for a united Ireland if a majority is in favour. The deal has been met with anger and bitterness by the majority loyalist community in Northern Ireland. The 15 Ulster Unionist MPs have accused Mrs Thatcher of treachery and have said they will resign unless a referendum is held on the agreement. However, opposition leaders at Westminster have pledged their support and the government seems certain to secure a big majority when the deal comes up for approval.

Irish MPs also have to approve the agreement which will be reviewed after three years. The Anglo-Irish Agreement The Anglo-Irish Agreement About the Author: My FA Anthologies William V. Shannon is University Professor of History and Journalism at Boston University. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland in 1977-81, and previously had been a member of the Editorial Board of The New York Times. Print The British government has invited the Irish government to share in the burden of administering the troubled province of Northern Ireland. This is the unique invitation spelled out in an agreement signed on November 15, 1985, by the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, Margaret Thatcher and Garret FitzGerald. If put into practice, this Anglo-Irish agreement will be the most important development in relations between the two countries since 1922, when the south of Ireland received independent dominion status as the Irish Free State while Northern Ireland remained within the United Kingdom. The agreement represents a dramatic shift in Prime Minister Thatcher’s position. During her first several years in office, she attached the highest importance to maintaining British sovereignty in Northern Ireland.

In her first meeting with FitzGerald after he became prime minister in 1981, she remarked that she regarded the north as being "as British as Finchley," referring to her own constituency in the south of England. FitzGerald responded that Britain did not have thousands of troops stationed in Finchley, nor did it have a secretary of state in the cabinet for Finchley’s affairs. One Irish official dubbed Mrs. Thatcher "the last true unionist." The British prime minister was never more unswerving in her attitude nor more popular with Protestant unionists than during the hunger strike of prisoners belonging to the Irish Republican Army in the spring and summer of 1981. In retrospect, however, it can be seen that her hard-line management of that crisis set in motion a train of events that resulted in the November 1985 agreement. Containing only 13 articles, the agreement is brief and bland. The vital clause states: There is hereby established . . . an Intergovernmental Conference . . .

concerned with Northern Ireland and with relations between the two parts of Ireland, to deal, as set out in this Agreement, on a regular basis with (1) political matters; (2) security and related matters; (3) legal matters including the administration of justice; (4) the promotion of cross-border cooperation. Other articles make clear that cross-border cooperation is meant to be This article is a part of our premium archives. To continue reading, you can purchase this single article or subscribe. Subscribers get free access to our entire archive. Signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement - YouTube Signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Aug 13, 2006 The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed on 15 November, 1985 in Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.

Category The Anglo-Irish agreement, 1985, this was agreed between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald - GCSE History - Marked by Teachers.com The Anglo-Irish agreement, 1985, this was agreed between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald Extracts from this document... Introduction The Anglo-Irish agreement, 1985, this was agreed between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald. Between 1980 and 1984, the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher held regular meetings with Taoiseach Charles Haughey and then Garrett Fitzgerald. Both governments were concerned about continuing the violence with the IRA and about the increasing support for the IRA'S political wing, Sinn Fein. By 1984, Mrs Thatcher was convinced that any solution would have to involve the Irish republicans. Unionists in Northern Ireland became increasingly concerned during these discussions, but Thatcher ignored their fears. In November 1985, she signed the Anglo-Irish agreement with Garrett Fitzgerald. The agreement was well received in most of mainland Britain and the republic. In Northern Ireland, the alliance and SDLP felt that it had possibilities.

Sinn Fein rejected this because it confirmed the partition of Ireland. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922 established the Irish Free State. Unionist objections to a united Ireland had resulted in the establishment of Northern Ireland through the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Relations between Dublin and London soured shortly after the arrival to power of Eamonn de Valera in 1932. The 1930s were dominated by a trade war, instigated by de Valera's Fianna Fail Government. Ireland ratified a new constitution in 1937 and declared itself a Republic in 1948. Britain responded with the Ireland Act 1949, which claimed exclusive British jurisdiction over the administration of Northern Ireland. The emergence of the civil rights movement and subsequent political violence in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s strained relations between Dublin and London. ...read more.

Middle They believe that the people of Britain would wish, in friendship to all sides, to enable the people of Ireland to reach agreement on how they may live together in harmony and in partnership, with respect for their diverse traditions, and with full recognition of the special links and the unique relationship which exist between the peoples of Britain and Ireland. The Taoiseach, on behalf of the Irish Government, considers that the lessons of Irish history, and especially of Northern Ireland, show that stability and well-being will not be found under any political system which is refused allegiance or rejected on grounds of identity by a significant minority of those governed by it. For this reason, it would be wrong to attempt to impose a united Ireland, in the absence of the freely given consent of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland.

He accepts, on behalf of the Irish Government, that the democratic right of self-determination by the people of Ireland as a whole must be achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland and must, consistent with justice and equity, respect the democratic dignity and the civil rights and religious liberties of both communities, including: - the right of free political thought; - the right of freedom and expression of religion; - the right to pursue democratically national and political aspirations; - the right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate means; - the right to live wherever one chooses without hindrance; - the right to equal opportunity in all social and economic activity, regardless of class, creed, sex or colour. ...read more. Conclusion Reaction to the Anglo-Irish Agreement varied according to the various interpretations of its meaning. The Agreement meant different things to different people. Unionists regarded the Agreement as the beginning of the end of the Union, while republicans saw the continuation of British rule by other means. Even the framers of the document diverged in their interpretation. Britain's attempts to re-assure unionists contrasted with the Irish Government's need to defend the Agreement against republican critics.

The reaction to the Anglo-Irish Agreement from the international community and public opinion in the Republic of Ireland and Britain was favourable. The traditional bi-partisan nature of party politics in the House of Commons towards Northern Ireland guaranteed its acquiescence. The Commons voted in favour of the Agreement by 473 votes to 47. The Agreement was also endorsed by a majority of members of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), with Fianna F�il (FF) voting against. Support in Northern Ireland was limited to John Hume's Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), who had indirectly influenced its outcome through the New Ireland Forum and who been kept informed of negotiations through contact with the Irish Government. Opposition to the Agreement emanated from traditional nationalists, or republicans, in both parts of Ireland, primarily Sinn F�in (SF) and Fianna F�il (FF), and most vehemently, from the unionist politicians and population of Northern Ireland. Breakaway terrorist groups such as the Real IRA haven't agreed with the IRA's ceasefire. They have carried on bombing in places like Omagh and London.

But on 28 July 2005 the IRA released a very important statement, saying that they were giving up violence for good. They also promised to destroy all their weapons and told all their members to stop fighting as well. ...read more. The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Northern Ireland 1965-85 section. Found what you're looking for? Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available CAIN: Events: Anglo-Irish Agreement - Chronology of events Anglo-Irish Agreement - Chronology of Events Text and Research: Martin Melaugh Material is added to this site on a regular basis - information on this page may change Anglo-Irish Agreement - Chronology of Events Friday 1 February 1985 John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), announced that he was accepting an invitation to a meeting with the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Hume said he would urge the IRA leadership to end the campaign of violence. However he was heavily criticised by Unionists and others.

Sunday 3 February 1985 Garret FitzGerald, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), said that the proposed meeting between John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) would be used by Republicans for propaganda purposes. Charles Haughey, then leader of Fianna Fáil (FF), supported Hume. Saturday 16 February 1985 Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), was refused a visa to enter the United States of America (USA). Adams was supposed to address a meeting of members of Congress but the US State Department turned down the visa application. Saturday 23 March 1985 The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) held its annual conference in Castlereagh, East Belfast. During his speech, Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), accused the Irish government, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and the Catholic hierarchy of having a vested interest in Irish Republican Army (IRA) atrocities.

Friday 15 November 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement Signed Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, and Garret FitzGerald, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA) at Hillsborough, County Down, on behalf of the two governments. The first part of the document stated: "The two Governments (a) affirm that any change in the status of Northern Ireland would only come about with the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland." The Agreement established the Inter-Governmental Conference that for the first time gave the Irish government a consultative role in matters related to security, legal affairs, politics, and cross-border co-operation. The Agreement also stated that the two governments would support any future wish by the people of Northern Ireland to enter into a united Ireland. Many Nationalists saw this as an important development. Unionists were outraged at the Agreement and began a long campaign to have the AIA removed.

[The AIA was only superseded when the Good Friday Agreement was implemented on 2 December 1999.] Loyalist paramilitaries also reacted and the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) declared all members of the Anglo-Irish Conference and Secretariat to be 'legitimate targets'. Ian Gow, then British Treasury Minister, resigned in protest at the signing of the Agreement. Saturday 16 November 1985 The Northern Ireland Assembly voted by 44 votes to 10 for a motion calling for a referendum to be held on the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Unionists also announced that on 17 December 1985 all 15 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Members of Parliament (MPs) would resign their seats and so cause by-elections in most of the parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland. Unionists also said they would withdraw from all advisory boards in Northern Ireland and refuse to meet with government ministers. Tuesday 19 November 1985 The 18 District Councils that were controlled by Unionists voted for a policy of adjournment against the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).

The councils also threatened to refuse to set the 'rates' (local government taxes). [These developments sparked a long period of disruption in local government in Northern Ireland.] Wednesday 20 November 1985 Tom King, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, was physically attacked by Loyalist protesters as he arrived for a function at Belfast City Hall. The protests were against the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). [George Seawright, then a Loyalist councillor, was jailed for nine months in October 1986 for his part in this protest.] Thursday 21 November 1985 In the Republic of Ireland there was a vote in the Dáil on the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Although Fianna Fáil (FF) voted against the Agreement the motion was passed by 88 votes to 75. Charles Haughey, then leader of FF, said he would not oppose developments that were of benefit to Nationalists living in Northern Ireland.

Saturday 23 November 1985 Unionist Rally Against AIA There was a huge Unionist rally, estimated at over 100,000 people, at Belfast City Hall to protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). [The slogan in the campaign against the AIA was �Ulster Says NO� and it was one that was to appear throughout the region and to remain for a considerable number of years.] Thursday 23 January 1986 Westminster By-Elections Fifteen Westminster by-elections were held across Northern Ireland. The by-elections were caused when Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs) resigned their seats in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Unionists fought the election under the slogan 'Ulster Says No' and wanted the elections to act as a referendum on the AIA. The SDLP decided not to nominate candidates in safe Unionists seats but instead fought in four marginal constituencies. [When counting of the votes was completed it became clear that Unionists had increased their vote on the 1983 general election. The vote for Sinn Féin (SF) was down by 5 per cent on the 1985 local government election.

Seamus Mallon of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) won the Newry and Armagh seat from Jim Nicholson of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). As most of the constituencies were uncontested by Nationalist candidates, Unionists put up dummy candidates called 'Peter Barry' in four seats. Peter Barry was at the time Irish Foreign Minister.] Brian Mawhinney, then Member of Parliament (MP) for Peterborough, was appointed as a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). Mawhinney was originally from Northern Ireland. Friday 7 February 1986 The High Court in Belfast ordered that Belfast City Council should end the on-going adjournment of council business in protest to the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). The court also instructed the council to remove the large 'Belfast Says No' banner from the front of the City Hall. The court action had been brought by the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI).

Tuesday 25 February 1986 James Molyneaux, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), travelled to Downing Street, London, for a meeting with Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, to discuss the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Following the meeting the two Unionist leaders said that they welcomed Thatcher's promise to consider their proposals for talks on devolution for Northern Ireland. [When Moylneaux and Paisley returned to Northern Ireland and held talks with other Unionist representatives in the region, including the leaders of workers in the power stations and the shipyard, they decided that they would hold no further discussions with the Prime Minister until the AIA was overturned.] Belfast City Council voted to refuse to set a 'rate' (local government tax) in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).

[In seventeen other councils across Northern Ireland, where Unionists were in a majority, a similar decision was taken.] Tuesday 11 March 1986 The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) arrested three Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Assembly Members when they tried to enter Stormont Castle where the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference was in session. [The DUP members were attempting to cut through a wire fence when they were arrested.] The House of Representatives in the United States of America (USA) unanimously voted to approve a $250 million aid package, over a five year period, to Northern Ireland to support the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Thursday 13 March 1986 It was announced that additional British Army soldiers would be sent to Northern Ireland to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). The move was the result of Unionist protests against the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). In the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland, two men were sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for attempting to acquire arms for the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

Wednesday 19 March 1986 Richard Needham, then a Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Minsiter, announced that the Department of the Environment would take over the function of setting the 'rates' (local government tax) in the 18 district councils that were refusing to do so. The councils were protesting against the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Tuesday 6 May 1986 There was a vote at Belfast City Council to resume normal business that had been adjourned in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). The vote was carried by 27 to 23 votes. The vote was taken to avoid a �25,000 court fine, however the council began a policy of deferring business. Thursday 15 May 1986 There was a series of protests and demonstrations to mark the six-month anniversary of the imposition of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). One demonstration took place in Hillsborough, County Down, where the AIA had been signed. In Belfast members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) occupied the switchboard of the parliament buildings at Stormont.

There was also a brief strike by power workers at Ballylumford, County Antrim. Monday 6 October 1986 There was a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin. The group discussed border security and agreed to implement a proposal that citizens from the Republic of Ireland who were living in Northern Ireland would be given the right to vote in local government elections in the region. Sunday 12 October 1986 Charles Haughey, then leader of Fianna Fáil (FF), said that since the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA) the position of Nationalists in Northern Ireland had 'seriously worsened' and that when FF returned to government his party would seek to renegotiate the Agreement. Saturday 2 February 1991 An interview with Garret FitzGerald, former Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), was published in the Irish Independent (a Republic of Ireland newspaper). Fitzgerald said that he had considered holding a referendum on Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution at the time of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).

Monday 25 March 1991 The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), all agreed to the arrangements for political talks on the future of Northern Ireland. Richard Needham, then a Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Minister, became the first NIO minister to visit Belfast City Hall since the Unionist protest began over the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA). Tuesday 9 April 1991 The Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference held a meeting in Belfast. Following the meeting Gerry Collins, then Irish Foreign Minister, announced that there would be a 10 week gap after its next meeting on 26 April 1991. [The break in meetings was designed to allow Unionists to enter talks on the future of Northern Ireland.] BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Anglo-Irish Agreement Question Explain the nationalist and unionist response to the Anglo-Irish Agreement Teacher's notes: This question is worth 6 marks in the exam. Give yourself 7 - 8 minutes to answer it. Mark Scheme: In History you are marked by levels.

The higher the level the more marks you get and so the higher grade you will achieve. Level 1 Answer: The answer will be general providing some information related to the question but it will not adequately explain reaction to the Agreement. Level 2 Answer: The answer will discuss how the Agreement was viewed but will concentrate on either the unionist reaction or the nationalist reaction but not both. Level 3 Answer: The answer will reflect fully on the varied reactions of both nationalists and unionists to the Anglo Irish Agreement. Answer 1 John's answer In November 1985 an agreement was signed by Margaret Thatcher the British Prime Minister and the Irish Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald which has become known as the Anglo-Irish Agreement. It was officially lodged with the United Nations and it recognised the right of the Irish Republic to have a say in the affairs of N. Ireland. Unionists were very opposed to the Agreement and nationalists supported it. Comment: Level 1 Answer John would get a level 1 for this answer. Much of his answer is mere description. There is no need to include narrative. The candidate needs to get straight to the point of the question - how did nationalists and unionists view the Agreement and how did they react to it.

The candidate merely refers to these points in his concluding sentence. Answer 2 Mary's answer The Anglo Irish Agreement signed in November 1985 was heavily criticized by many unionists. They felt the British government had betrayed them by allowing the government of the Irish Republic to have a say in N. Ireland affairs. Unionists were not reassured by promises that N. Ireland would remain part of the United Kingdom as long as the majority of the population desired it. They believed that Mrs Thatcher had given in to Provisional IRA violence and they felt that a United Ireland would soon be established. As a result they organised a number of demonstrations to protest against the Agreement. Comment: Level 2 Answer Mary would get a level 2 for this answer. The candidate has produced a reasonable answer. All of her answer is relevant to the question but it lacks balance. She comments well on unionist reaction to the Agreement but ignores completely the nationalist response. Answer 3 William's answer Unionists and nationalists reacted very differently to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Unionists had not been informed in advance of the Agreement and were surprised and greatly angered by it. They strongly objected to giving the Republic of Ireland any say in the affairs of N.

Ireland and believed that by doing so Margaret Thatcher was making concessions to Provisional IRA violence. Unionists organised an "Ulster Says No" campaign which involved numerous street demonstrations. All 15 unionist MPs at Westminster resigned their seats in protest. The Alliance Party was the only pro-union party to give its support to the Agreement The Nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party welcomed the Agreement. They argued that the interests of nationalists in the north of Ireland would now be protected. The Workers' Party also expressed some support but Sinn Fein and the Provisional IRA were very hostile to an Agreement which they believed guaranteed partition, for the Republic's government had officially recognised for the first time the state of Northern Ireland. Attitudes to the Agreement were divided in the South of Ireland. The Agreement was approved by the Dail by 88 votes to 75 but it was opposed by the Fianna Fail party and by leading political figures such as Mary Robinson, later president of Ireland. Comment: Level 3 Answer William would get a level 3 for this answer. The candidate has produced a high quality answer. He is aware of how controversial the Agreement was and deals fully with the varied responses of nationalists and unionists.

Page: Anglo-Irish Agreement — AOH Florida State Board Signed on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish government an advisory role in Northern Ireland’s government while confirming that there would be no change in the constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless a majority of its people agreed to join the Republic. It also set out conditions for the establishment of a devolved consensus government in the region. The Agreement was signed on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle, by the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the Irish Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald. The Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference The agreement established the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, made up of officials from the British and Irish governments. This body was concerned with political, legal and security matters in Northern Ireland, as well as “the promotion of cross-border co-operation”. It had a consultative role only – no powers to make decisions or change laws were given to it.

The Conference would only have power to make proposals “insofar as those matters are not the responsibility of a devolved administration (having the power to make legislation relevant to the area) in Northern Ireland”. This provision was intended to encourage the unionists (who opposed Irish government involvement in Northern Ireland through the Conference) into a power-sharing devolved government. The conference had a permanent secretariat, including officials from the republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs, based in the Belfast suburb of Maryfield. The presence of civil servants from the Republic particularly incensed unionists. Reaction to the Agreement The British House of Commons voted for a motion to approve the Agreement by a majority of 426 (473 for and 47 against, the biggest majority during Thatcher’s premiership). The majority of the Conservative Party voted for it (although there were some unionist MPs in the party who opposed it), as did the Labour Party (committed to “unification by consent”, although some left-wing MPs such as Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone opposed it because they believed Britain should withdraw from Northern Ireland), and the Liberal-SDP Alliance.

The Agreement was rejected by unionists because it gave the Republic of Ireland a role in the governance of Northern Ireland for the first time ever, and because they had been excluded from the agreement negotiations. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led the campaign against the agreement, including mass rallies, strikes, civil disobedience and the mass resignation from the British House of Commons of all the unionist MPs. The DUP and UUP collectively organized 400,000 signatures in a petition against the Agreement. There was also a mass rally outside Belfast City Hall on 23 November against the Agreement, with Northern Irish historian Dr Jonathan Bardon saying of it: “Nothing like it had been seen since 1912”. Estimates of the number of people there vary: The Irish Times claimed 35,000 people were present; the News of the World, The Sunday Times and the Sunday Express claimed 100,000; the lecturer in Politics at the University of Ulster, Arthur Aughey, claimed over 200,000 people were there; and the organizers of the meeting said 500,000 attended.

The DUP leader Ian Paisley addressed the crowd: “Where do the terrorists operate from? From the Irish Republic! That’s where they come from! Where do the terrorists return to for sanctuary? To the Irish Republic! And yet Mrs Thatcher tells us that that Republic must have some say in our Province. We say never, never, never, never!” The day after the rally a MORI opinion poll in Northern Ireland found that 75% of Protestant Unionists would vote ‘No’ if a referendum was held on the Agreement, with 65% of Catholic Nationalists saying they would vote ‘Yes’. The UUP MP Enoch Powell asked Thatcher in the Commons the day before she signed the Agreement: “Does the Right Hon. Lady understand—if she does not yet understand she soon will—that the penalty for treachery is to fall into public contempt?” The UUP leader James Molyneaux spoke of “the stench of hypocrisy, deceit and treachery” and later said of “universal cold fury” at the Agreement such as he had not experienced in forty years of public life. Ian Paisley, a few days later to his congregation, compared Thatcher to “Jezebel who sought to destroy Israel in a day”.

He wrote to Thatcher: “Having failed to defeat the IRA you now have capitulated and are prepared to set in motion machinery which will achieve the IRA goal… a united Ireland. We now know that you have prepared Ulster Unionists for sacrifice on the altar of political expediency. They are to be the sacrificial lambs to appease the Dublin wolves”. In his letter to FitzGerald, Paisley said: “You claim in your constitution — jurisdiction over our territory, our homes, our persons and our families. You allow your territory to be used as a launching pad for murder gangs and as a sanctuary for them when they return soaked in our people’s blood. You are a fellow traveller with the IRA and hope to ride on the back of their terrorism to your goal of a United Ireland. We reject your claims and will never submit to your authority. We will never bow to Dublin rule”. The moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, Dr Robert Dickinson, wrote to Thatcher and said the Agreement was “the beginning of the process of edging Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom – sovereignty has been impinged”. Thatcher’s close friend and former Parliamentary Private Secretary Ian Gow resigned from his Treasury post in protest at the Agreement.

UUP politicians Christopher and Michael McGimpsey even brought a suit against the Irish government in the High Court of Ireland, arguing that the Agreement was invalid because it contradicted Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland. (This argument was unusual coming from a unionist because of the traditional unionist opposition to these two articles.) The case failed in the High Court, and again on appeal to the Supreme Court. Of the main parties in Northern Ireland, only the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the cross community Alliance Party supported the agreement. The by-elections called after the Unionist MPs resigned did not quite offer the electorate a clear-cut choice on the agreement due to the reluctance of the other parties to contest them. No unionist candidate opposed another, whilst both the SDLP and Sinn Féin only contested the four seats where at the previous election there had been a majority of votes cast for nationalist candidates. The SDLP rejected a Sinn Féin offer to form a nationalist electoral pact to oppose the unionist electoral pact. In the process the SDLP gained the Newry and Armagh seat. The Alliance formally committed to fighting all the seats on a platform of support for the Agreement, but some local branches declined to select candidates.

The Workers’ Party stood in a few seats. In four constituencies where no party would oppose the Unionist MP a man called Wesley Robert Williamson changed his name by deed poll to “Peter Barry” (the name of the Irish Foreign Minister) and stood on the label “For the Anglo-Irish Agreement” but did not campaign. Despite this he garnered nearly 7,000 votes and saved three deposits. The unionist parties between them garnered over 400,000 votes and over 71% of the total poll, but as no by-elections took place in the staunch nationalist seats of West Belfast and Foyle this latter figure is skewed. Nevertheless the unionists trumpeted the results as a rejection of the Agreement by the electorate. The Orange Order in Scotland claimed that one thousand people left the Conservative Party in protest against the Agreement. In 1990 Thatcher said that “The Anglo-Irish Agreement had alienated some pro-Ulster supporters in crucial constituencies” in Scotland. Thatcher was taken aback by the ferocity of the unionist response and in her memoirs she said their reaction was “worse than anyone had predicted to me”.

She furthermore claimed that the Agreement was in the tradition of British governments refraining “from security policies that might alienate the Irish Government and Irish nationalist opinion in Ulster, in the hope of winning their support against the IRA”. However, Thatcher perceived the results of this to be disappointing because “our concessions alienated the Unionists without gaining the level of security co-operation we had a right to expect. In the light of this experience it is surely time to consider an alternative approach”. In 1998 Thatcher said she regretted signing the Agreement and said of Enoch Powell’s opposition to the Agreement: “I now believe that his assessment was right”. The Agreement was rejected by republicans because it confirmed Northern Ireland’s status as a part of the UK. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) continued their violent campaign and did not endorse the agreement. Sinn Féin’s president, Gerry Adams, denounced the Agreement: “… the formal recognition of the partition of Ireland… [is] a disaster for the nationalist cause… [it] far outweighs the powerless consultative role given to Dublin”.

On the other hand, the IRA and Sinn Féin claimed that the concessions made by Great Britain were the result of its armed campaign, from which the SDLP gained political credit. The Agreement was approved by Dáil Éireann, 88 votes to 75 and by Seanad Éireann by 37 votes to 16. The Irish nationalist Fianna Fáil political party, the main opposition party in Ireland, also rejected the Agreement. The Fianna Fáil leader, Charles Haughey, claimed the Agreement was in conflict with Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland because it officially recognized British jurisdiction in Northern Ireland. It was also opposed by the Independent TD’s Neil Blaney and Tony Gregory, with Blaney describing the agreement as “a con job”. Despite this opposition, all the other main parties in the Republic supported the Agreement, and it was ratified by the Oireachtas.

Leinster House (Home of the Oireachtas – Irish Parliament) Prominent Irish Labour Party member Mary Robinson, who subsequently became President of Ireland, resigned from the Irish Labour Party because she believed that the Agreement “could not achieve its objective of securing peace and stability within Northern Ireland… because… it would be unacceptable to all sections of Unionist opinion”. An opinion poll taken shortly after it was signed found that in the Republic 59% approved of the Agreement, 29% opposed it and 12% had no opinion. FitzGerald’s government’s approval ratings went up 10% to 34%. Haughey’s opposition to the Agreement was approved by 32%, with 56% opposed. Long-term effects The Agreement failed to bring an immediate end to political violence in Northern Ireland; neither did it reconcile the two communities. The devolved power-sharing government envisaged by the agreement would not become a reality for many years, and then in quite a different form. However, it did improve co-operation between the British and Irish governments, which was key to the creation of the Good Friday Agreement 13 years later.

As such, it can be seen as a major stepping-stone in the Peace Process, of which the inter-governmental component was crucial. At a strategic level, the agreement demonstrated that the British recognized as legitimate the wishes of the Republic to have a direct interest in the affairs of Northern Ireland. It also demonstrated to unionists that they could not veto political change as, in the end, the British state was stronger than they. Republicans were left in the position of rejecting the only piece of constitutional progress (in the eyes of many nationalists or republicans) since the downfall of Stormont a decade earlier. As such, the agreement boosted the political approach advocated by the SDLP and contributed to the republican recognition, made explicit in the 1998 agreement, of the principle of consent as the basis of fundamental change of Northern Ireland’s status. Within ten years, however, the IRA announced a (first) ceasefire, and both governments engaged in negotiation with the two sides to the Northern Ireland conflict, which eventually bore fruit in the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement would also indirectly affect the outcome of the election of Charles Haughey as Taoiseach in the aftermath of the 1987 Irish General Election which resulted in a hung Dáil.

Independent TD Tony Gregory abstained in the vote for Haughey seeing Haughey as the “lesser of two evils” due to Gregory’s opposition to the agreement along with his personal dislike for Fitzgerald. Haughey was elected Taoiseach on the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle. RTÉ Archives | Politics | Anglo-Irish Agreement Politics On 15 November 1985 the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed by the Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald and the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. After the signing of the treaty at Hillsborough Castle, county Down, FitzGerald and Thatcher held a joint news conference where they both issued statements and answered questions from the press. Both leaders sought to reassure unionists with Garret FitzGerald stating Irish political unity would come about only with the consent of a majority. Margaret Thatcher further commented there would be No change in the status of Northern Ireland without their consent... the legitimacy of the unionists position has been recognised by the Republic in a formal international agreement. Both see the agreement as a stepping stone to devolve powers in the north of Ireland. Under the treaty the Republic of Ireland would now have an advisory role in Northern Ireland's government.

However, there would be no change to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland. This press conference was broadcast by RTÉ News on 15 November 1985. Keywords: Follow the Archives for more daily updates on features, profiles and exhibitions Explore RTÉ

Question: Which British Prime Minister signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher