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These documents were scanned, collated and catalogued by Ruth Murray, Annabel Harris, Isha Pareek, Eleanor Williams, Antoine Yenk, Harriet Carter, Rosa Moore, Oliver Nicholls, Kieran Wetherwick, and Cerys Griffiths.
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UNCLASSIFIED FM DUBLIN TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 109 OF 091315Z MARCH 92 INFO IMMEDIATE NIO(B), NIO(L), WASHINGTON, BIS NEW YORK
FIANNA FAIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE, 7 MARCH: NORTHERN IRELAND AND ANGLO-IRISH RELATIONS
SUMMARY
DETAIL
ADDRESSING THE FIANNA FAIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON 7 MARCH, THE TAOISEACH SAID THAT THE CONFLICT IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND WAS CRUEL, CHRONIC AND A CONSTANT PERSONAL GRIEF. A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION WOULD TRANSFORM RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLIC AND RELEASE THE POWERFUL POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE ENTIRE ISLAND IMPRISONED FOR OVER 20 YEARS. "WE MUST STOP THINKING SO MUCH IN THE PAST AND START THINKING IN THE FUTURE". SEAN LEMASS HAD INITIATED A '"GOOD AND GENEROUS POLICY OF DETENTE AND CO-OPERATION", AND HAD RECOGNISED THAT THE ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT OF A UNITED IRELAND COULD ONLY BE "THE FINAL FRUIT OF A FUNDAMENTAL IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON BOTH PARTS OF THIS ISLAND".
REPUBLICAN PARAMILITARIES HAD NO HISTORICAL SANCTION IN SEEKING TO COERCE THE UNIONIST PEOPLE. "PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENCE, OR DEFENDING THE RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN IT, PRECLUDES INVOLVEMENT IN ANY COMPREHENSIVE DIALOGUE ON LEGITIMATE POLITICAL AIMS...".
REFERRING TO HIS MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER ON 26 FEBRUARY, THE TAOISEACH SAID HE WAS GLAD THAT THE PROBLEMS OF NORTHERN IRELAND WERE VERY HIGH ON THE LATTER'S AGENDA. BOTH GOVERNMENTS WOULD GIVE A FIRM AND POSITIVE LEAD IN RE-ESTABLISHING NEW POLITICAL DIALOGUE. HE WOULD ASSIST THE NATIONALIST PEOPLE "IN COMBAT TING ALL MANIFESTATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION, INJUSTICE OR INTOLERANCE...". "NOTHING CAN CALL INTO QUESTION THE FACT THAT NORTHERN NATIONALISTS, AND INDEED UNIONISTS TO THE EXTENT THEY THEMSELVES CHOOSE, ARE AS FULLY AND UNQUESTIONABLY IRISH AS ANY PERSON IN THIS ISLAND. THE POLICIES OF THIS GOVERNMENT WILL ALWAYS START FROM THAT REALITY."
SPEAKING DIRECT TO '"THE UNIONIST COMMUNITY", THE TAOISEACH SAID THAT HE KNEW THE SUFFERING OF THE PAST TWENTY YEARS AND UNDERSTOOD THEIR ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE. "SADLY, AT DIFFERENT TIMES EACH TRADITION IN IRELAND HAS TENDED TO IGNORE THE OTHER FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, CREATING A FEELING OF ISOLATION, SIEGE, BEREAVEMENT AND LOSS" . THE LESSON WAS FORGIVENESS, AND NO RETALIATION. THIS DEMANDED HUGE COURAGE AND GRACE. THE TASK FACING ALL IN IRELAND WAS "TRANSFORMING A PSYCHOLOGY OF MUTUAL REJECTION INTO A PSYCHOLOGY OF MUTUAL RESPECT". "WITHOUT AGREEMENT AND CONSENT ON BOTH SIDES, THERE WILL BE NO LASTING STABILITY": THIS WAS THE HARD-LEARNED LESSON.
" I WELCOME THE WISH OF THE UNIONIST REPRESENTATIVES TO RAISE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES WITH ME. LET THEM ALL BE ON THE CONFERENCE TABLE. ARTICLES 2 AND 3 AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, 1920 - THE ONE THAT PARTITIONED THIS COUNTRY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. AT THAT TIME A UNITED IRELAND WAS THE ULTIMATE AIM OF BRITISH POLICY TO BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY AGREEMENT. BUT IN THE MEANTIME IT ALWAYS ENVISAGED THAT THE EFFECTS OF PARTITION WOULD BE MINIMIZED BY CLOSE POLITICAL LINKS AND ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH. THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY OFFERS A NEW FRAMEWORK, NEW POSSIBILITIES, FREE OF THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE PAST ...WHILE RECOGNISING DIFFERENCES AND DIVERSITY."
AFTER REFERRING TO CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CBI (NORTHERN IRELAND) AND THE CONFEDERATION OF IRISH INDUSTRIES, AND OTHER PROPOSALS FOR ENCOURAGING NORTH/SOUTH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE TAOISEACH SAID HE PROPOSED SHORTLY TO PUBLISH A STUDY ON NORTH/SOUTH ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE SINGLE MARKET.
EARLIER, OPENING THE DEBATE ON NORTHERN IRELAND, THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKE STRONGLY AGAINST VIOLENCE. "UNLESS ALL THE PEOPLE COME OUT AND REPUDIATE VIOLENCE, UNLESS THE MEN OF VIOLENCE ARE DENIED SHELTER AND UNLESS THE PEOPLE ARE SINGLE-MINDED IN THEIR DETERMINATION TO RID THE ISLAND OF THESE MURDERERS, THERE WILL BE NO PEACE. " ANDREWS REJECTED CALLS FROM THE FLOOR FOR SINN FEIN PARTICIPATION IN TALKS. MOST FLOOR SPEAKERS URGED NO CONCESSION ON ARTICLES 2 AND 3 OF THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH ANDREWS AGREED WERE NOT FOR SALE, BUT WOULD BE ON THE TABLE IN STRAND II WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF BRITISH/IRISH RELATIONS INCLUDING THE 1920 ACT. THE CONFERENCE ADOPTED A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING ARTICLES 2 AND 3 "AS THE EXPRESSION OF THE IDEAL OF THE IRISH PEOPLE TO NATIONAL UNITY".
SEE MIFT FOR COMMENT.
BLATHERWICK
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION 150
MAIN 99
.NORTHERN IRELAND RID LEGAL ADVISERS PUSD INFO D ECD (I) NAD NEWS D NTCD PLANNERS PMD RAD//MR HALETT & MS HANCOCK RMD SCD PS PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/MR GAREL-JONES PS/PUS CHIEF CLERK MR BROOMFIELD MISS SPENCER MR GREENSTOCK
ADDITIONAL 51 NORTHERN IRELAND
NNNN
65 1992 - 1997
3
20
9
56
61 1997 - 1997
84 1996 - 1997
112 1997 - 1997
4 1997 - 1997
70 1997 - 1997
85 1997 - 1997
52 1997 - 1997
38 1991 - 1991
61 1991 - 1992
48 1992 - 1993
58 1993 - 1993
59 1993 - 1993
84 1993 - 1993
134 1993 - 1994
49 1996 - 1996
48 1996 - 1996
87 1996 - 1996
79 1996 - 1996
78 1996 - 1996
55 1996 - 1996
86 1996 - 1996
96 1992 - 1997
79 1996 - 1997
58 1996 - 1997
117 1996 - 1997
46 1997 - 1997
49 1996 - 1997
27 1988 - None
8 1989 - 1990
55 1990 - 1991
64 1991 - 1991
60 1993 - 1994
77 1993 - 1993
64 1993 - 1993
49 1993 - 1995
54 1993 - 1993
57 1993 - 1993
59 1993 - 1993
51 1993 - 1993
26 1993 - 1993
38 1993 - 1993
65 1993 - 1993
37 1993 - 1993
32 1993 - 1993
18 1993 - 1993
24 1993 - 1994
41 1993 - 1994
76 1993 - 1994
32 1993 - 1994
72 1993 - 1994
1 1994
33 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1997
4 1996 - 1996
41 1996 - 1996
33 1996 - 1996
30 1996 - 1996
7 1996 - 1996
24 1996 - 1996
17 1996 - 1996
9 1996 - 1996
59 1996 - 1996
74 1996 - 1996
71 1996 - 1996
22 1996 - 1996
77 1996 - 1996
67 1996 - 1996
26 1996 - 1996
20 1996 - 1997
32 1996 - 1996
47 1996 - 1996
10 1996 - 1996
31 1996 - 1996
45 1996 - 1996
17 196 - 1996
60 1996 - 1996
77 1996 - 1996
6 1996 - 1997
39 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1996
61 1996 - 1996
23 1996 - 1996
16 1996 - 1996
Provides excerpts from Albert Reynolds's speech at the Fianna Fáil conference, noting his commitment to North/South cooperation, and appeal to the Unionist community. Blatherwick also notes the negative reaction of the party rank and file to the idea of making concessions regarding Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution. Highlighted.
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Unless further or otherwise specified below, this material falls under Crown Copyright and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The National Archives of the UK (TNA), digitized by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/351/.