British files from the Northern Ireland Office at a critical time in Irish-British relations are released for the first time today. Behind-the-scenes talks and briefings shed a fascinating light on the normally secretive world of diplomacy between Britain and Ireland. The papers offer unique insights into Ireland’s uneasy relationship with Britain against the background of the Troubles and ongoing talks about a devolved administration for Northern Ireland. Then taoiseach Charlie Haughey’s relationship with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as the killing of three IRA members by the SAS in Gibraltar and the killing of two British undercover corporals at an IRA funeral, all added to the tensions at the time.
The term “devolution”, which appears in these files, refers to the provision in the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement for the re-establishment of an elected Assembly at Stormont with responsibility for matters “devolved” from Westminster (such as health and education). The last devolved government had been the 1974 Power-sharing Executive, which had collapsed after five months.
From 1988 the British government and Northern Ireland Office actively sought Dublin’s and Charles Haughey’s assistance in drawing the SDLP into talks with unionists. For the DUP and UUP, the re-establishment of a local administration would reduce Dublin’s role in Northern Ireland under the agreement. However, they remained opposed to power-sharing, a precondition for the SDLP and Dublin.
Attempts to launch talks between the constitutional parties and the two governments finally bore fruit in the discussions that led to the Belfast Agreement of 1998.
Release of files
This year the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has released 791 files under the 30/20 year rule. This follows a decision by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011 to reduce the time limit for the release of government files from 30 years to 20 years. The 20-year rule is being phased in over 10 years with two years’ worth of records being released each year.
Files released today relate mainly to 1991, although a number feature earlier years. In all, 662 files are fully open while 189 have been subjected to “blanking out” of some of their content. Ninety-four files remain closed mainly concerning individual prisoners. The files are available for public inspection at the Public Record Office in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, from today.
- Dr Éamon Phoenix is a political historian, journalist and commentator. He is a member of the Taoiseach's Expert Advisory Group on Centenaries