Gerry Adams on IRA ceasefire - The Irish Times

MakeEmLaugh

Yesterday in The Irish Times, an article written by Gerry Adams was published on the subject of the 20th anniversary of the IRA's ceasefire. One part of the article was particularly egregious.

Adam writes, speaking of Sinn Féin, John Hume and the Irish government collectively...

"We had achieved agreement on a number of important points. There was an acceptance that partition had failed; there could be no internal settlement within the six counties; the Irish people as a whole had a right to national self-determination; there could be no unionist veto over discussions or their outcome and any negotiated settlement required fundamental constitutional and political change."

Now, I am aware of the posturing of successive Taoisigh (mostly Fianna Fail Taoisigh) on the subject of Northern Ireland. Speaking in 1981, Charles Haughey said

"I have stated frequently that in my view Northern Ireland as a political entity has failed completely. Northern Ireland no longer exists as a viable political entity and my view is that some new way forward must be found."

However, in the early 1990s when talks such as those alluded to in Adams' article were taking place, when was there ever anything formally or officially publicised by the Irish government that could be construed as 'partition has failed'?

And even if they had said that, certainly everything that has happened since would suggest they are determined to ensure partition succeeds.

DarkyHughes

I think they probably meant the 1922 - 1972 N.Ireland statelet had failed & that the 1998 - present one is a kind of success. It certainly won't deliver a lasting peace however. All it's gonna take is one F8ck up by the British & floods of recruits will join dissident groups like after the Fall Curfew, 1971 internment & Bloody Sunday.

padma

The GFA was an all island vote, the process involved brings the two islands to the table, not just the 6 counties, mo chara

MakeEmLaugh

padma wrote: »

The GFA was an all island vote, the process involved brings the two islands to the table, not just the 6 counties, mo chara

The referendum which took place in the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 1998 was on the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments to the Constitution of Ireland i.e. to ratify the Amsterdam Treaty and to delete the part of the constitution which said "the national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland".

The referendum held in Northern Ireland on 22 May 1998 was on approving an agreement which said "the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and accordingly, that Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people".

It wasn't an all island vote; it was two separate referenda with some overlap.