Telegram from David Blatherwick Commenting on Albert Reynolds' Speech at the Fianna Fáil Conference on 7 March 1992

THE TAOISEACH'S SPEECH BEARS ALL THE HALLMARKS OF HIS OWN THINKING: A DISQUISITION ON THE 1920 GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, EMPHASIS ON NORTH/SOUTH ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, HOPE THAT A EUROPEAN CONTEXT WILL FACILITATE A SOLUTION AND A DIRECT APPEAL TO UNIONISTS. HIS REFERENCE TO LEMASS, REGARDED AS THE ARCHITECT OF PRAGMATIC CO-OPERATION WITH THE NORTHERN IRELAND GOVERNMENT IN THE EARLY 1960'S, SYMBOLISES THIS APPROACH.
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS HIS HEAVY EMPHASIS ON PEOPLE, RATHER THAN THE SHIBBOLETHS OF THE PAST: THAT WITHOUT POPULAR CONSENT, NO POLITICAL SOLUTION IS POSSIBLE AND THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED, ON BOTH SIDES. NEITHER HAUGHEY NOR MANY OTHERS IN FIANNA FAIL WOULD HAVE SO OPENLY ACCEPTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT UNIONISTS HAVE A RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO REGARD THEMSELVES AS IRISH.
CONFERENCE REACTIONS SUGGESTED THAT THE TAOISEACH AND ANDREWS ARE AHEAD OF THE RANK AND FILE OF THE PARTY. SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE AUDIENCE FAILED TO APPLAUD ANDREWS' CONDEMNATION OF VIOLENCE, AND PLAINLY OPPOSED DELETING ARTICLES 2 AND 3. THE TAOISEACH'S POINTS ON NORTHERN IRELAND WERE APPLAUDED, BUT WITHOUT MUCH ENTHUSIASM. IT IS TOO EARLY TO JUDGE HOW MUCH TRADITIONAL REPUBLICAN SENTIMENT IN FIANNA FAIL MIGHT TIE HIS HANDS IN STRANDS 11 AND 111, BUT EVEN IF WE GET THERE IT WILL NOT BE PLAIN SAILING.

BLATHERWICK YYYY

DSITRIBUTION 150

MAIN 99 .NORTHERN IRELAND RID LEGAL ADVISERS PUSD INFO D ECD(I) NAD NEWS D NTCD PLANNERS PMD RAD//MR HALLETT & MS HANCOCK RMD SCD PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/MR GAREL-JONES PS/PUS CHIEF CLERK MR BROOMFIELD MISS SPENCER MR GREENSTOCK

ADDITIONAL 51 NORTHERN IRELAND

NNNN

View Full Transcription

This is a development site

Jump To

Search Results

CJ 4/8792

CJ 4/10648

CJ 4/9296

CJ 4/10484

CJ 4/10647

CJ 4/10560

CJ 4/10562

CJ 4/10572

CJ 4/10894

CJ 4/10946

CJ 4/10947

CJ 4/10972

CJ 4/11016

CJ 4/9243

CJ 4/10957

CJ 4/11312

CJ 4/10482

CJ 4/10649

CJ 4/10650

CJ 4/10487

CJ 4/10651

CJ 4/10483

PREM 19/4255

CJ 4/10486

PREM 19/3823

PREM 19/3405

PREM 19/4254

PREM 19/4264

PREM 19/4263/1

PREM 19/4263/2

CJ 4/9297

CJ 4: Home Office and Northern Ireland Office: Registered Files (NI Series)

PREM 19: Records of the Prime Minister's Office: Correspondence and Papers, 1979-1997

CJ 4/12313

CJ 4/12427/1

PREM 19/5711

CJ 4/12308

CJ 4/12309

PREM 19/5712

CJ 4/12261

CJ 4/12225 [Extract]

CJ 4/12230

CJ 4/12231

CJ 4/12232

CJ 4/12242

Telegram from David Blatherwick Commenting on Albert Reynolds' Speech at the Fianna Fáil Conference on 7 March 1992

Writing Peace: The National Archives of the UK (TNA)

PREM 19/4254