Ireland: 1982-94

constitutional crusade

- Fine Gael leader set out to rid the state's constitution of features that might be unattractive to Ulster Protestants -campaign to insert a constitutional prohibition on abortion aimed to provide constitutional backing to the existing, restrictive abortion legislation

attitudes on social issues in the republic were during the period under scrutiny in this chapter, both complex and changing

-Charles Haughey forming a minority Fianna Fail government -a significant development was the emergence as an electoral force of the progressive democrats ---advocated the nationalization and reform of the state apparatus, together witht eh limiting of the economic role of the state

it remained difficult to see how one could reconcile unionist attachment to the UK

-UK government's approach: trying simultaneously to reassure unionists and give concessions to nationalists

two particularly crucial points about the agreements

-accord was implemented without the consent of the majority community in the region -unionist hostility to the agreement was widespread -Ian Paisley said that it would grow into a dreaded united ireland -second: nationalists failed to demonstrate either signs that such consent was beginning to emerge or an effective explanation of how or why it should do so

Brooke initiative: three stranded

1: involved the four northern Ireland constitutional parties 2. involve talks between Dublin and the northern irish parties 3: address relations between Dublin and lond

two central realities

1: scholars have firmly established the regionally varied nature of poltical experience in northern ireland -was likely to leave a significan section of the population disaffected 2: any discussion of northern Ireland which failed to acknowledge certain economic realities hindered, rather than advanced, progress in the region

Joint Declaration

From UK prime minister john major, republic of Ireland Taoiseach: Albert Reynolds -north and south to bring about a united Ireland if that is their wish

numerous difficulties were experienced by the republican movement during 1987

Sinn Fein electoral disappointment was complemented by setbacks involving the ira -some ira were killed in significant events

SDLP leader John Hume and Gerry Adams

a joint statement: that the irish people as a whole have a right to national self determination

Anglo-Irish agreement in 1985

an attempt at a newly cooperative british-irish approach to northern ireland 'affirm that any change in the status of northern Ireland would only come about tiwth the consent of a majority of the people of northern ireland -if in the future a majority of the people of northern Ireland clearly wish for and formally consent to the establishment of a united Ireland, they will introduce and support in the respective parliaments

talks became increasingly more difficult

as they grew more specific -revealed the width of the gap separating the unionist and nationalist outlooks -tension: republic of Ireland constitutional calim to the 6 counties of northern Ireland relected the basic divergence of opinion between unionists and nationalists over the legitimacy of partition

the new Ireland forum

comprised representatives from nationalist parties -examined three options for northern Ireland: become part of a unitary irish state, part of a federal/confederal state, or be governed under a system of joint authority between Dublin and london -equal validity to the two traditions in northern ireland

what happened after Gerry adams lost his west Belfast seat?

explosion of two bombs in the center of London-signaled the continuing capacity of the ira to pursue republican goals -republicans and loyalists were killing roughly about the same amount of people -during the 1985 agreement:tension between loyalists and the police

UK government would respond flexibly i

if the IRA abandoned violence and that the government might talk to Sinn Fein -Britain had no strategic or economic interest in northern ireland -restated the government's preparedness to accept irish unification

most issues of domestic public policy now have a European dimension

irish voters permitted the state to ratify the single European act -European law played a vital role in influencing irish political life

1989 election represented a turning point in the history of the irish party system

mary robinson became president of the republic in 1990 -robinson's victory reflected a successful attempt to woo voters with what might be termed more progressive instincts -changes in the party system did not necessarily weaken the previously dominant political party.

possibility that the ira's political alter ego

might come to displace the SDLP as the party representing the majority of northern irish nationalists -political developments were influenced by the perception that republicans were gaining ground in northern ireland

prime minister Margaret thatcher in 1982

no commitment exists for her majesty's government to consult the irish government on matters affecting northern ireland

what happened after Ulster defense Association was banned by the government?

people wondered if Sinn Fein should have been outlawed -UK government's approach toward Sinn Fein at this time was one of attempting to coax it into the constitutional arena

northern Ireland fair employment act

protect individuals from discrimination and the address the problem of unequal employment opportunities -religious disadvantage and/or discrimination lay at the root of northern Ireland's political conflict

what did these two campaigns raise an issue of?

relationship between the republic's political and social ethos and on the other the expressed desire of the state's irish nationalists for irish unification

employment disadvantage helped to sustain the poltical conflict

rendered more difficult the task of those trying to eradicate inequality in employment -religious disadvantage in employment differed from some other forms of structural disadvantage

1986 campaign to remove the constitutional ban on divorce

rendering the republic more pluralistic -citizens of the republic would benefit from the alteration -Divorce Amendment Bill -Anti-Divorce Campaign -helped to push enough voters towards the stance

political parties in the period

tended to endorse the principle that ideally a united Ireland would be desirable -recognizing that it was not practical -the desire for a united Ireland was very much a low-level priority among the Republic's electorate

what formed the foundation of much British policy in this period?

that if republicans abandoned violence then the government would respond positively

british governmental attitudes were shifting significantly in the direction of constitutional nationalist thinking

the identities of both the majority and the minority communities in northern Ireland should be recognized and respected and reflected in the structures and processes of the northern Ireland in ways acceptable to both communities'

both governments commited themselves in the agreements

the two sides in northern Ireland were to be accorded equal respect, validity and legitimacy-hope to simultaneously to reassure unionists and mollify nationalists