In 1985, the British and Irish governments met in Hillsborough Castle to create a new agreement on Northern Ireland. Garret FitzGerald and Margaret Thatcher signed the Anglo-Irish (Hillsborough) Agreement in November 1985. The agreement stated that:
1. There could be no change to Northern Ireland’s position within the UK without the agreement of the majority of the population.
2. The Republic of Ireland would have a limited role in the internal affairs of the North. Many unionists opposed the agreement but the British government refused to give in to their protests.
Source B
Looking at the evidence
The image shows people protesting against the Anglo-Irish Agreement in Belfast. 1. Are the protesters nationalist or unionist? Referring to the image, give reasons for your answer.
2. Whose effigy (likeness) are they burning and why?
3. To what is Ulster saying No?
16
The Downing Street Declaration (1993)
In late 1993, British Prime Minister John Major and Taoiseach Albert Reynolds issued the Downing Street Declaration. This recognised that:
1. Britain no longer had a strategic or economic interest in Northern Ireland.
2. Self-determination of the populations of the Republic and Northern Ireland was necessary if the unification of Ireland was to occur.
Fig 16.16 British Prime Minister John Major (left) and Taoiseach Albert Reynolds announce a joint declaration to bring peace to Northern Ireland in 1993.