New Troubles In Northern Ireland
As Gordon Brown and the Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen try to broker a deal between two increasingly opposed parties in Northern Ireland, it seems that we stand on the verge of a return to the dreadful days of mistrust and violence associated with The Troubles.
In the decade that has passed since the Good Friday agreement came into place, huge strides have taken place in Northern Ireland politics. I am old enough however to remember the horror of the 70s and 80s, and onwards into the early 90s, when terrorism was rife and religion divided communities in a most bitter and bloody way. The threat of bombings was very real both in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, and ’punishment beatings’ (in effect gangland torturing and intimidation) took place on a daily basis on a widespread scale. Young children going to Catholic schools were spat at in the streets and had abuse screamed at them by Protestant adults. Protestant marchers had briks thrown at them during the heated summer marching season. As a catholic of Irish descent myself I remember plainly how depressing the situation was and how insoluble the problems seemed.
Good Friday however changed things in a remarkably quick fashion. Just a few years ago it would have been impossible to imagine Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams sitting around the same table or the IRA declaring that the armed struggle was over, or even Unionists admitting that some devolution was necessary for Northern Ireland, but these things have rapidly come to pass.
The warning signs are still there however, and rest assured that just as quickly as the troubles were erased they can resurface if the fragile goodwill between the opposing factions breaks down.
One of the most bizarre elements of the Norther Ireland peace process was the relationship between Ian Paisley and Adams and Martin McGuinness. It seemed that a real understanding, almost a warmth, had grown between these men, previously and literally deadly enemies. Now that Paisley is no longer leader of the DUP, the differences between the Unionists and Sinn Fein seem to be widening again.
The two parties are split over the devolving of policing and justice, and whilst Brown and Cowen have worked hard to persuade both Republican and Loyalist politicians there seems to be an increasing desperation about their actions.
It seems inevitable now that the talks will end in failure and that the Stormont assembly will once again be thrown into chaos. Violence is on the rise again in Northern Ireland and newly emerging dissident groups are ready to use any excuse to start their gangland activities masquerading under a political facade.
I hope that it is not too late for a deal to be brokered. Whilst it could be the last action of Gordon Brown as British PM, it could be the most important achievement of his life. Politicians of both sides must once again put aside relatively minor differences, and must even be prepared to put aside lifelong ideaologies, in order to prevent the destruction of the country itself. A dark cloud is emerging again over the beautiful green counties of Northern Ireland. In this little corner of Europe the storms can arrive quickly and ferociously and they last a long, long time.
I think I have a solution everyone will agree upon for what we should plan for Clive’s pre-wedding weekend. We should sort out some time at one of his favourite ski chalet holidays as a surprise.
Comments are closed!