Previous attempts to bring peace to Northern Ireland have failed. What problems will need to be overcome if current peace talks are to succeed?

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Ireland

QUESTION 3 Previous attempts to bring peace to Northern Ireland have failed. What problems will need to be overcome if current peace talks are to succeed?

There were many peace efforts in Northern Ireland, which finally lead to the determination of Tony Blair to get the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 helped improve relations with the Irish Republic and the British government by allowing the republic a consultative role in Northern Ireland and the recognition of the state of Northern Ireland for the first time. There were also some improvements in the Civil Rights of Catholics, while both the IRA and the British Army began to recognise that the war could not be won on a military basis. Sinn Fein’s popularity grew and enabled them to use politics rather than violence to make its case for a United Ireland.

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The people of Ireland also helped with the development of peace among members of paramilitaries and supporters of paramilitaries. There was also influence by the USA president Clinton, as a foreign policy would divert eyes from his sex scandal. The secret talks by the British Government and the IRA and also talks between the Republic and Sinn Fein. This lead to the Downing Street Declaration of 1993 stating the two parties of Ireland could bring about a United Ireland if they so wished. There was a ceasefire by the IRA shortly afterwards but still disagreements about decommissioning, this just ...

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