Anglo-Irish Agreement

   

The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish Government a voice in Northern Ireland's government while confirming that Northern Ireland would remain part of the UK unless a majority of its citizens agreed to join the Republic. It also set out conditions for the establishment of a devolved consensus government in the province.

The agreement was signed on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle, by the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the Irish Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald.

The agreement was rejected by republicans because it confirmed Northern Ireland's status as a part of the UK. The Provisional IRA continued their violent campaign and did not sign up to the agreement.

The nationalist Fianna Fail political party in the Republic of Ireland also rejected the agreement. The Fianna Fáil leader, Charles Haughey, claimed the agreement was in conflict with Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland because it recognized Northern Ireland as part of the UK. Despite this opposition, the agreement was ratified by the Oireachtas.

On the other side, it was rejected by unionists because it gave the Republic of Ireland an increased influence over Northern Ireland, and because they had been excluded from the agreement negotiations. The Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party led the campaign against the agreement, including mass rallies, civil disobedience and the mass resignation of all the unionist MPs from the Westminster Parliament.

The agreement failed to bring an end to political violence in Northern Ireland, nor did it reconcile the two communities in Northern Ireland. However, it did improve cooperation between the British and Irish governments, which was key to the creation of the Belfast Agreement a decade later.

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