Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)

This project models the series of formal and informal negotiations which led to the publication, in December 1993, of a declaration issued jointly by the British and Irish Governments. The Joint Declaration was a critical policy document which paved the way for a ceasefire and the entry of Sinn Féin into formal talks. It also laid out a shared set of principles – including, crucially, self-determination for the people of Ireland subject to the consent of the people of Northern Ireland – which would come to underpin the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and provide a framework for its ratification.

Irish Government

This is one of the 8 delegations in the convention, accounting for 29 of 112 people who took part.

Members (29):

Name Visualize Details Delegations
Bertie Ahern Visualize Fianna Fáil TD, 1981-2011. Born 12 September 1951. Fianna Fáil Deputy Leader, 1992-94. Fianna Fáil Leader, 1994-2008. Minister for Labour, 1987-91. Minister for Finance, 1991-94. Taoiseach, 1997-2008. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Government of the Republic of Ireland (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998)
David Andrews Visualize Minister for Foreign Affairs (1992 - 1993); Minister for Defence and the Marine (1993–94); Opposition spokesman on tourism and trade, (1995–97); Minister for Defence (1997) Member: Committee on the Constitution (1967); New Ireland Forum (1983–84); British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body (1990–92) Member of the Dáil (TD) (FF) for Dún Laoghaire, 1965–2002; Minister for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ireland, 1997–2000. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Tom Barrington Visualize None Irish Government (This negotiation)
Joseph Brosnan Visualize Secretary General of the Department of Justice (appointed 1991) Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
John Bruton Visualize John Gerard Burton. Born 18 May 1947; died 6 February 2024. TD for Fine Gael, 1969-2004;.Minister for Industry and Energy, 1982-83. Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce, and Tourism, 1983-86. Minister for Finance, 1986-87. Deputy Leader of Fine Gael, 1987-90. Leader of Fine Gael, 1990-2001; Taoiseach, 1994-97. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Government of the Republic of Ireland (Northern Ireland International Body on Arms Decommissioning 1995-1996)
Mr Carr Visualize None Irish Government (This negotiation)
Gerry Collins Visualize Minister for Foreign Affairs 9 March - 14 December 1982; 12 July 1989 - 11 February 1992 Irish Government (This negotiation)
Tim Dalton Visualize Tim Dalton. Irish government delegate to the 1991-1992 and the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality, 1993-2004. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Also Present (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
David Donoghue Visualize David Donoghue. Joined Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (Anglo-Irish Division), 1975. Irish Permanent Mission to the UN, 1987-88. Posted to the Irish Embassy in London 1988-91. Served as Irish head of the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in Belfast, 1995-99. Irish government delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Noel Dorr Visualize Born 1 November 1933. Joined the diplomatic service of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1960. From 1980 to 1983 he was the Permanent Representative of Ireland at the United Nations in New York. From 1983 to 1987, Dorr was the Irish Ambassador to the UK. Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1995. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Noel Fahey Visualize None Irish Government (This negotiation)
Fergus Finlay Visualize Fergus Finlay. Born 1 June 1950. Irish government delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Adviser to Dick Spring, 1983-97. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Pádraig Flynn Visualize TD (1977-1994); Minister of State (1980-1981); Minister for the Gaeltacht (1982); Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism (1982); Minister for the Environment (1987-1991); Minister for Justice (1992-1993); Minister for Industry and Commerce (1992-1993). European Commissioner for Social Affairs (1993-1999). Irish Government (This negotiation)
Dermot Gallagher Visualize Dermot Anthony Gallagher. Born 1944; died 15 January 2017. Joined civil service, 1969. Press Office at the Irish Embassy in London, 1973-77. Irish Ambassador to the US, 1991-97. Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, 1997-unknown. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Visualize Minister for Justice (4 January 1993-15 December 1994) Irish Government (This negotiation)
Charles Haughey Visualize Charles James Haughey. Born 16 September 1925. Irish Fianna Fáil politician. Served as Taoiseach from 1979 to 1981, from March 1982 to December 1982, and finally from 1987 to 1992. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Mini-Models )
Pat Hennessy Visualize Pat Hennessy. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Martin Mansergh Visualize Martin George Southcote Mansergh. Born 31 December 1946. Worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs, by 1977 he became First Secretary. Recruited by Taoiseach Charles Haughey as Director of Research, Policy and Special Advisor on Northern Ireland under three Fianna Fáil leaders. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Rory Montgomery Visualize Rory Montgomery. Irish government delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Irish diplomat, 1983-2019. Served as Ambassador to France, Permanent Representative to the EU in Brussels, Second Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach and Second Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Frank Murray Visualize Secretary General to the Irish Government, 1993-2000. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Dermot Nally Visualize Dermot Nally. Born 10 December 1927. In 1973 Nally joined the Department of the Taoiseach as Assistant Secretary reporting directly to Taoiseach Jack Lynch. In 1978, he was appointed Deputy Secretary to the department. In 1980 Nally became Secretary to the Government. Over the remainder of his career he worked with ten governments until his retirement in late 1992. However, in retirement, Nally was retained on a consultancy basis by Albert Reynolds to advise on the negotiations leading to the Downing Street Declaration. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Declan O'Donovan Visualize None Irish Government (This negotiation)
Irish Government Representative Visualize Statements, decisions and papers attributed to the Irish Government delegation. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Albert Reynolds Visualize TD (Fianna Fáil), 1977–2003; Taoiseach 1992–94; President, Fianna Fáil, 1992–94 (Vice-President, 1983–92). Irish Government (This negotiation)
Joseph Small Visualize Attended Strand 3 meetings for the Brooke/Mayhew talks and meetings of the Anglo-Irish Liaison Group. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Dick Spring Visualize Richard (Dick) Martin Spring. Born 29 August 1950. TD for Kerry North, 1981-2002. Leader of the Labour Party, 1982-97. Tánaiste, 1983-97. Minister for Foreign Affairs, 1993-97. Irish Government (This negotiation)
Paddy Teahon Visualize Paddy Teahon. Irish government delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Involved in the negotiation of the Downing Street Joint Declaration, 1993. Irish Government (This negotiation)
C Ó hUiginn Visualize None Irish Government (This negotiation)
Seán Ó hUiginn Visualize Seán Ó hUiginn. Head of the Anglo-Irish Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, 1991-97. Irish ambassador to the United States, 1997-2011, and was subsequently Irish ambassador to Germany. Instrumental in the negotiation of the Downing Street Joint Delegation in 1993 and was an Irish government delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Irish Government (This negotiation) , Irish Government (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)