Anglo-Irish Agreement: Bertie re-writes history!

[BarryW]

In an article penned by Bertie Ahern in the Irish Times last week, our most noble leader said this:

Twenty years ago, my predecessor, Dr Garret FitzGerald, signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement. It was a shaft of light at a time of despair with no end to the violence in sight.

The incredible hypocrisy of such a statement seems lost on the man.
Cast your mind back to when that agreement was signed. Ahern was one of Fianna Fails’ most senior members. He was front bench spokesman on Labour; Vice President of Fianna Fail, and a former Government Chief Whip.

Has he forgotten that Fianna Fail, of which he was such a senior member at the time, vociferously opposed that Agreement on every level?
They proceeded to whip up hysterical scare-mongering on all sorts of issues from the dilution of the prospects of Irish unity, to fears over cross-border policing.

Fianna Fail’s strongest objection was against what he contended were the constitutional implications of that agreement.
They denounced the first article of the agreement affirming “that any change in the status of Northern Ireland would only come about with the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland”.
Ironically, this is now the foundation stone of the Good Friday Agreement, which Ahern and FF claim as THEIR finest achievement !!

FF said:
“For the first time ever, the legitimacy, which is contrary to unification, has been recognised by an Irish Government in an international agreement. From our point of view it gives everything away. It confirms the status of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom and it confirms that there would be no change in the status without the consent of the Northern Unionists”

All of this was OPPOSED by FF in 1985, but is now central to the GFA.

FF policy towards the 1985 may be summed up neatly with these comments from Haughey:
What these foolish men are proposing to us, represents an insidious and dangerous threat to our future security because, up until now, we were able to administer our own security police as an independent and sovereign nation.”

Haughey and FF contended that the concessions gained in the Agreement were:
“in return for the support he had given British policy”
(the old “Garrett is a West Brit” line)

And let's not forget: Fianna Fail (Ahern among its leadership) sent Brian Lenihan to the US to canvass support against the 1985 Agreement. In other words, FF canvassed AGAINST the possibility of peaceful settlement in the North. The single greatest act of TREASON ever committed by mainstream Irish politicians.

And now Bertie thinks that the 1985 Agreement was "a shaft of light at a time of despair" (!!!!)

Bertie’s forgetfulness as regards recent history is astonishing. It illustrates breathtaking arrogance on his part, or incredible stupidity – or both.

[unrelentingfenian]

Gareth is a West Brit...

UCD+Umbrella=WEST BRIT

[UnrepentantFenian]

Gareth is a West Brit...

UCD+Umbrella=WEST BRIT

ahem "unrelenting" ??

pfft.

[BarryW]

Gareth is a West Brit...

UCD+Umbrella=WEST BRIT

Such a thoughtful, insightful mature and considered response to my post.
Nothing more than I woul expect from an "unrelenting" Shinner

[green]

It is actually quite entertaining, considering the recent history of the GFA and southern nationalism in Ireland, to read Bertie's contribution to the AIA debate here.

Some choice quotes:

I have no satisfaction in saying here today that the Government have wantonly squandered our deepest aspirations.

It is extremely difficult for me to believe that the Taoiseach, even in his wildest flights of fantasy, could possibly think that we in Fianna Fáil would agree mutely to the removal of Articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution by sleight of hand. That is what this Anglo-Irish Agreement does. At the stroke of two pens the indefeasible right of the Irish people to the unity and integrity of the national territory has been eliminated.

Parnell's great dictum that no man can put a stop to the march of a nation has met a sad and untimely end at the hands of this Government. Without any due authority, except the misconceived notions of their woolly thinking, this Government have put a full stop to the aspirations and the de jure rights of the Irish people.

By accepting British sovereignty over part of our constitutional territory, this Government have greatly underestimated the long term damage they have done and may do to bi-partisanship in this House.

Whereas before the international community was quite aware of our historic and constitutional claim of [2868] sovereignty, they can now be convinced by PR into believing that we are quite content with British administration in the North.

The saddest aspect of this agreement is that the very best it can hold out before the people of Northern Ireland is a devolved Government of some sort at some future date, with a gradual withering away of Irish governmental function as the Unionists come to their senses. So the hope of the future is the failure of the past. Devolved government had its day and was swept aside by the dominant factor that has been constant in the North: the Unionist veto and the British guarantee.

A unitary state achieved by agreement and consent is indeed the only solution that offers the hope of lasting [2869] peace and stability. A gradually increasing intergration is the solution, not a diminution of our role. We invested much time, energy and enthusiasm into the report of the New Ireland Forum, which unanimously reached that conclusion. What a tragedy that the lessons of the Forum were so quickly forgotten by this Government and by a Taoiseach whose main obsession seems to be the removal of Articles from the Constitution, either overtly or covertly.

Bertie=Carrier

[Bogwarrior]

I smooched my way into a Loyalist crowd of 10,000 and smirked as they burnt an effigy of Fitzgerald and Thatcher , shortly after the Anglo Irish Agreement. Fitzgerald looked like Wurzel Gummidge on acid. Only for the bright Prod who placed a placard round his neck, saying simply "Fitzgerald", I'd never have known.

[Catalpa]

I smooched my way into a Loyalist crowd of 10,000 and smirked as they burnt an effigy of Fitzgerald and Thatcher , shortly after the Anglo Irish Agreement. Fitzgerald looked like Wurzel Gummidge on acid. Only for the bright Prod who placed a placard round his neck, saying simply "Fitzgerald", I'd never have known.

Rather you than me mate!

[Catalpa]

Yes FF have come a long way since 1985 all right!

They got it more or less right then but when CJ was back in power in '87 he quickly made it clear he would accept the AIA.

Never had any time for him after that...

[BarryW]

Thanks for the link, Green - I was fishing around for that all day.

Just to remind ourselves, last week Bertie described the Anglo Irish Agreement as:
"a shaft of light at a time of despair"

But in 1985 he said:

We cannot pretend that this agreement will improve things, when patently it will not. We cannot pretend it is wonderful when we know it is a disaster

I find it impossible to detect any positive aspects for either the Nationalist population, the Irish Government or the country as a whole

The tragedy is that we can now become bogged down in the Northern quagmire, without any certainty that the lot of the Nationalist minority will be bettered in any way

I would dearly wish to find in this agreement a sentence that would assure me that ........the movements towards reconciliation would be enhanced by this agreement

Ahern then has the absolute gall to say:

I would like to stress that it is not from any petty feeling of partisan loyalty that I bring these points to the notice of this House

.....even though petty partisan bickering was the only reason FF opposed this deal- a fact now recognised by all historians and writers.

and:

this Government have greatly underestimated the long term damage they have done and may do to bi-partisanship in this House

.......even though FF had opposed the AIA and the Report of the New Ireland Forum purely fot its own gain, and had sent Lenihan to the US to canvass against the peace process.

I would love for all these quotes to be presented to Ahern - because they have obviously been wiped from his memory between 1985 and the day he penned this column.

[hiding behind a poster]

Well, we all know Master ahern's memory aint the best.....