Since the Good Friday agreement this Labour government has made it very well known that they have come closer to peace in Northern Ireland than any previous government. However the I.R.A. has still not handed over all of it’s weapons and many terrorists have been released, charges against them dropped, as a condition of the good friday agreement.
On top of this, every year the Orange Order marches cause tension in Ireland and violence always follows (I’m not suggesting whether or not this is the fault of the marchers or the people who oppose them, it’s just the pattern). there are also splinter groups breaking off from established terror groups, for example the Real I.R.A., have split off from the actual I.R.A. and, according to police authorities, are more hardcore and more violent.
Bearing this in mind, do you think that peace has been achieved in Northern Ireland. If you think it has, do you think that it can reasonabl expect to be kept in tact?
If you don’t think peace has been established by the agreement, do you think that peace will EVER be established or is it just a pleasant, but unrealistic, prospect?
I’m going on holiday tomorrow so I won’t be able to keep track of this topic, if you’re interested in my views, I’m staying neutral on this one. Over to you.
It’s hard to describe the situation in Northern Ireland as peaceful right now, what with various republican and loyalist splinter groups vowing to return to “war” if certain circumstances continue. Also, there was the 500-pound bomb destined for a loyalist march which was luckily diverted last week, combined with the bomb placed on a railway line in London, intended to disrupt the Queen Mother’s birthday. Punishment beatings (and shootings) carried out by both sides continue on a regular basis, almost completely ignored by the mainstream UK press.
And yet, and yet…though I’ve only been living in England for six years, I can really sense a change in attitudes from both Unionist and Nationalist politicians. There has been a real effort to implement both the Good Friday agreement and the Northern Ireland Assembly, an effort which would have been unthinkable when I moved here. I haven’t spoken to many people from the province but I can hear some confidence from them in the new organisations. Despite the entrenched emotions brought up during the recent marching season I think many people are willing to change their attitudes, which can only be a good thing. However, I think it’s up to the politicians to continue to keep this change moving, which worries me somewhat.
BTW, today was the first anniversary of the Omagh bombing. One of the bereaved parents called on Sinn Fein to help with the search for the bombers. Gerry Adams has refused. Make of that what you will.