Peacemakers: Albert Reynolds and John Major

The death of former Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds (1932-2014) on August 21, 2014, focused considerable attention on the big political achievement of his career, his influential role in the Northern Ireland peace process, leading to the Downing Street Declaration of 1993 which affirmed the right of Irish people, north and south, to self-determination. It enshrined the principle of consent, whereby a united Ireland can only come about with the consent of the people in both the north and the south. After his election as Taoiseach in February 1992, Albert Reynolds established communications with the paramilitary organizations and tried to create a path which would induce them to abandon their military campaigns and take the democratic political route. His immediate objective was peace, believing that it would lead to political change. While the architect of the peace process was John Hume, and many others made huge contributions, the role of Albert Reynolds in getting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, to take political risks for peace was huge. Both knew and liked each other from their earlier roles as finance ministers, but John Major was the leader of a minority government which made courageous action more difficult for him. The trust and chemistry between them, as well as their burning desire for peace, led to negotiations and agreement, with the signing of the Downing Street Declaration on December 25, 1993.

The Downing Street Declaration was a major step in the peace process. It proclaimed that the people of Ireland, north and south, had the exclusive right to resolve their own constitutional affairs by agreement and mutual consent. In response to the Downing Street Declaration, on September 1, 1994, the Provisional IRA announced a complete cessation of military activities, which was followed a few months later by a similar announcement from the Combined Loyalist Military Command. These ceasefires collapsed in 1996, but were reinstated a year later. The Downing Street Declaration was a huge step on the long road to peace in Northern Ireland, for which Albert Reynolds, John Major, and others will always be remembered. It was most appropriate to see John Major attend the funeral Mass of Albert Reynolds on Monday August 2014 in Dublin, where he received a very warm round of applause. Until 1993, no Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since Gladstone had taken more political risks to resolve problems in Ireland than John Major.

After intensive negotiations for new political structures, in which US Senator George Mitchell played a big role, the historic Belfast Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998. It provides for civil and cultural rights and parity of esteem between the two communities in Northern Ireland, as well as an elected assembly and a power-sharing executive. The agreement, which states that the political future of Northern Ireland depends on the consent of the majority of its people, was adopted in simultaneous referenda held in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic on May 22, 1998. The first power sharing executive was led by the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin. It is hoped that peace, reconciliation and mutual respect for the traditions and cultural heritage of both communities in Northern Ireland will create a new inclusive society there. While the Belfast agreement and the power-sharing executive have received considerable favorable international publicity, the roles of Albert Reynolds, John Major and others in ending violence and creating the conditions for political initiatives do not now receive the recognition they deserve.

Bernard O'Hara's latest book entitled Killasser: Heritage of a Mayo Parish is now on sale in the USA and UK as a paperback book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or Barnes and Noble

It is also available as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).

An earlier publication, a concise biography of Michael Davitt, entitled Davitt by Bernard O’Hara published in 2006 by Mayo County Council , is now available as Davitt: Irish Patriot and Father of the Land League by Bernard O’Hara, which was published in the USA by Tudor Gate Press (www.tudorgatepress.com) and is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. It can be obtained as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).