Changing Relations

• Reasons for the Anglo Irish Agreement

  Irish and British government were concerned about violence. In 1984 Thatcher was almost killed by a car bomb in Brighton. She was convinced a solution would involve the R.O.I. The SDLP and Britain were concerned that Sinn Féin would become the main nationalist party, as they would worsen security and make the chance of an agreement slim.
• The Anglo Irish agreement did not establish an assembly
• The Anglo Irish agreement was signed by Margaret Thatcher and Garret Fitzgerald
• What the Anglo-Irish Agreement stated

  • An intergovernmental conference where Secretary of State and foreign minister would meet
  • A secretariat would provide administrative support to the conference
  • Devolution would only occur if there was a sharing of powers
  • British accepted a united Ireland with the majority of N.I.
  • Ireland accepted partition and the principle of consent
• British Reactions

  • Cross party support
  • Ian Gow resigned
• Irish Reactions

  • Fine Gael accepted
  • Fianna Fáil rejected
  • SF were annoyed with Dublin's acknowledgement of Britain in N.I.
  • Mary Robinson reisgned
• Nationalist Reactions

  • SDLP thought it was a chance for progress and an opportunity for a fairer N.I.
  • SF felt it made partition permanent and condemned it
• Unionist reactions

  • They were united with rage.
  • Felt betrayed and abandoned and betrayed they had no say
  • Felt no one was looking out for their interests
  • Felt a united Ireland was close
  • Believed SDLP was consulted
  • Began a campaign of non-cooperation to show anger to the Dublin Diktat.
• Unionists had a rally at City hall in November 1985 and burnt the British Flag
• 15 unionist MP's resigned from Westminster and 14 were reelected.
• Sinn Fein votes fell
• On the 3rd March 1986 unionists had a day of action against the agreement. They held peaceful protests, but there were clashes between RUC and Loyalists.
• Unionists shunned ministers and refused to set rates.
• The Ulster resistance was set up in November 1986
• Unionist campaign of resistance was unsuccessful