Archive

Large scale document archive

1985 Oct 1 - 1985 Oct 31
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/1551
Ireland (Prime Minister's meetings with the Taoiseach: Anglo-Irish relations) (Part 10)

Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2014 Dec 30
Classification: Secret
Page count: 270
Any docs withheld? 1
Themes: Media, Security services & intelligence, Terrorism, Northern Ireland

PREM19/1551 - download whole file (PDF, 247.8 MB)

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 32

Date Value Title
85 Oct 1 Tu Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [talks with Nally, 29-30 Spt; reported British side "considerably dismayed" at ECST, Irish trying to extract promise of a Catholic Judge; Garda's Irish task force being restored; UDR and RUC; secretariat to be a channel of communication not a decision-maker, Armstrong urging only two Irish officials at the start; draft communiqué] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 1 Tu Major Ireland: Powell briefing for MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [ministerial meeting to consider King's minute; consideration of change of approach to Anglo-Irish talks; whether to set a date or avoid one and risk leading "the Irish to conclude that we are backing out"; should we do contingency planning for a breakdown, especially with an eye to the US?] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 2 We Major Ireland: No.10 record of conversation (MT-King-Howe-Armstrong-Cradock) ["Balance of advantage in the Agreement" - as it stood draft agreement "offered Britain few obvious advantages"; claim of improved cooperation against terrorism open to the riposte that "it should not be necessary for the UK to pay a price for Irish co-operation in this field"; essential to secure Irish accession to ECST; amendments to draft summary and to agreement; MT stressed "we must be able to make crystal clear that the Irish Government would have no executive role in the north"] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 3 Th Major Ireland: Ingham minute to Powell ("Northern Ireland") [media presentation of Agreement - favours joint press conference with no separate interviews afterwards, to curb 'extravagant' Irish presentation; maintain option of MT interview on D+1; briefing for selected outlets in US (Powell adds "+ Peter Utley"] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 4 Fr Major Ireland: MT letter to Taoiseach Fitzgerald (1045Z) (Anglo-Irish Agreement: state of play in talks) [outstanding drafting points; date of summit; very much hopes he will reconsider Irish accession to European Convention on Suppression of Terrorism; LCJ in Northern Ireland prepared to appoint a sixth member to the High Court; date of signature mid-November] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 4 Fr Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell (Anglo-Irish Agreement: message from Bud McFarlane) [US position on Anglo-Irish Agreement and US financial support for Northern Ireland; signing would ease opposition to extradition treaty] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 4 Fr Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [Irish Government suggests signing Agreement in New York; MT firmly rejects] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 7 Mo Major Ireland: FCO record of conversation (0900Z) (Howe-King-Armstrong-Spring-Barry-Nally and others) [European Convention on Suppression of Terrorism - Irish said it would not pass the Dail "without visible changes in the judicial system in NI", but agreed to look further; possibility of three man Northern Ireland courts; Secretariat of Intergovernmental Committee - Irish insisted on a visible Irish presence in Belfast; devolution; inconclusive discussion on summit timing] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 7 Mo Major Ireland: Northern Ireland Office letter to Powell (comment on joint letter from Jim Molyneaux MP and Ian Paisley MP) [suggested reply] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 8 Tu Minor Ireland: Home Office letter to Powell ("Anglo-Irish Discussions on Northern Ireland: Ministerial Security") [implications of Anglo-Irish Agreement] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 9 We Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [latest talks with Nally, 7-8 Oct; drafting amendments to Agreement; possible legal challenges to the agreement; copy of text as at 8 Oct] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 9 We Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Timing of Summit") [Taoiseach "extremely disturbed" at reports that a junior minister or PPS was showing draft of the agreement to journalists in Blackpool; Irish therefore wanting signature very early next week 14 or 15 Oct ] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 10 Th Major Ireland: Powell minutes for MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland/Timing Summit") [drafting changes sought by Irish in latest round of talks; date of summit - MT: "we must fight for our viewpoint. The Irish are still trying to convey the impression that they are going to have some kind of AUTHORITY in N.I."] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 11 Fr Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell (Anglo-Irish Agreement) [King's suggestion that his PPS, Dr Mawhinney, is included in internal meeting of Northern Ireland Office on presentation of Agreement; Irish suspect him of leaking agreement in Blackpool; MT backs Armstrong's view that Mawhinney should not be included] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 11 Fr Major Ireland: Northern Ireland Office letters to Powell (Anglo-Irish Agreement) [King accepts much of Armstrong's latest drafting; firmly denies Irish claim of a leak of the agreement at Blackpool; MT wants ministerial meeting: "I should like to be very tough"] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 14 Mo Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [latest talks with Nally, 13-14 Oct: wording of Agreement; joint press release and presentation; communique; Ulster Defence Regiment; copy of text as at 14 Oct; annotated by MT] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 14 Mo Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to MT ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [report on Armstrong's latest round of talks with Nally: wording of Agreement; joint press release and presentation; communique; Ulster Defence Regiment; longer version, not marked by MT] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 14 Mo Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell (Anglo-Irish talks: press leaks) [Irish Government now alleging that a British Cabinet Minister showed draft Agreement to a journalist before Blackpool party conference, possibly a member of OD(I); MT agrees with comment "I do not like the way these allegations are flying about] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 14 Mo Major Ireland: Armstrong minute to Powell ("Anglo-Irish Relations: Northern Ireland") [talks with Nally: date of summit; FitzGerald worry that unionist and nationalist parties will use delay to wreck Agreement; King shares worry; MT: "Let us have a look at the diary again. ?7th Nov?"] [declassified Dec 2014]
85 Oct 14 Mo Major Ireland: MT letters to Ian Paisley MP and Jim Molyneaux MP (Anglo-Irish talks) ["I can only repeat my assurance that, whatever emerges from our negotiations...there is no threat whatsoever to the Union"; happy to meet] [declassified Dec 2014]