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1984 Nov 1 - 1984 Dec 18
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1289
Ireland (Situation in Northern Ireland) (Part 18)

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Jan 3
Classification: Secret
Page count: 147
Themes: Foreign policy (Western Europe - non-EU), Security services & intelligence, Terrorism, Northern Ireland

PREM19/1289 - download whole file (PDF, 34.34 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 22

Date Value Title
81 Sep 3 Th Major Northern Ireland: MT letters to Miss Sharon and Mrs P McCloskey (hunger strike: response to letters about Liam McCloskey) ["despite what is said and written by some people about my attitude to the hunger strike, I very much regret that young men have been prepared to throw away their lives"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 1 Th Major Northern Ireland: Armstrong letter to Howe PS ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [position paper ("British statement of position" and communiqué for next round of Armstrong-Nally talks] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 1 Th Major Northern Ireland: Powell minute to Armstrong ("Anglo/Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [MT's comments on his draft position paper of 31 Oct] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 5 Mo Major Northern Ireland: Armstrong minute to MT ("Anglo/Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [latest round of Armstrong-Nally talks - Irish "relieved ... we were still talking to them"; Irish more realistic on timing - will not be in place before May 1985 local elections; "they have accepted that the relationship will be purely consultative"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 9 Fr Major Northern Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell (Taoiseach Fitzgerald rejection of repartition in Northern Ireland in comments with press) [would lead to more permanent division; MT comment "That's why he doesn't like it"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 13 Tu Major Northern Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [Irish alarmed at British view that devolution integral to package, on a majority rule basis; Lillis left speaking note with Goodall and draft Irish proposal for a joint declaration on Northern Ireland] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 14 We Minor Northern Ireland: No.10 minute to MT ("Northern Ireland Industrial Bank") [possible bank collapse] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 15 Th Minor Northern Ireland: No.10 minute to MT (Northern Ireland Industrial Bank) ["NIIB has been saved" - bank collapse averted] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 16 Fr Major Northern Ireland: Hurd letter to MT ("The Council of Europe and Northern Ireland") [handling of Council of Europe Reports on Northern Ireland] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 23 Fr Major Northern Ireland: UKE Dublin telegram 689 to FCO (2325Z) ("Anglo-Irish Summit") [Irish FM Peter Barry draft speech on summit - "strong feelings" aroused by "British insensitivity" but Irish government would stick with "the diffficult road of progress"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 23 Fr Major Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Office letter to No.10 (Hurd meeting with John Hume) [Hume doubted the ability of the Irish Government to carry a referendum on Articles 2-3] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 23 Fr Major Northern Ireland: Powell minute to MT (Fitt's suggestion that MT meet with Hume) ["You have every reason to be fed up with Hume. But a meeting would help cool things with the Republic"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 26 Mo Major Northern Ireland: FCO letter to No.10 ("Anglo-Irish Relations") [press comments on Irish Foreign Minister's speech - "an attempt to start the fence-mending process"] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 29 Th Major Northern Ireland: UKE Dublin telegram 705 to FCO (1100Z) ("Anglo/Irish Relations and Irish Politics") [assessment of current state of relations and politics: Fitzgerald's "standing in the party and with the public is now very low", widely seen as humiliated by the Prime Minister] [declassified 2014]
84 Nov 29 Th Major Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Office letter to No.10 ("Anglo/Irish Relations") [note of Hurd-Paisley-Robinson meeting - Hurd looked for constructive political progress from them now that "the line had been so clearly drawn" on Forum proposals; "rather dismayed by the triumphalism of Unionist reactions so far"] [declassified 2014]
84 Dec 1 Sa Major Northern Ireland: UKE Dublin telegram 714 to FCO (1955Z) (advance text of speech by Irish FM Peter Barry) [alienation of Northern nationalists] [declassified 2014]
84 Dec 1 Sa Major Northern Ireland: Powell minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [following visit to Dublin David Crouch MP conveying "general feeling of frustration and despair" on part of Irish leaders; CDP reply - "it seemed to us that the Irish had dug a hole for themselves by building up quite unrealistic expectations before the Summit; and that despite all their protestations they were still trying to get joint authority in one form or another"] [declassified 2014]
84 Dec 5 We Major Northern Ireland: UKE Dublin telegram 727 to FCO (1030Z) ("Anglo-Irish Relations") [generally positive media reaction to MT's remarks on Anglo/Irish relations at Dublin Castle press conference, "has undoubtedly relieved the pressure, for the time being at least, on Dr FitzGerald"] [declassified 2014]
84 Dec 10 Mo Major Northern Ireland: Powell minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [planning for next Anglo-Irish summit early in the New Year - examine a more limited bargain than originally envisaged in Armstrong/Nally talks or ways to terminate the initiative with least damage; MT comments "I think we need to consider a political framework. The Irish will not accept the above alone"] [declassified 2014]
84 Dec 12 We Major Northern Ireland: Powell minute to Armstrong ("Anglo/Irish Relations") [MT seeks a short paper on way forward in Anglo/Irish talks - (a) scope for a more limited bargain (b) possible political framework in NI to ease Irish Government acceptance (c) ways to terminate initiative with minimum possible damage to relations] [declassified 2014]