#National Archives

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

BRITAIN-IRELAND-POLITICS-PEOPLE-REYNOLDS-OBIT
State Papers: John Major conceded in 1992 that the IRA could not be defeated
Then taoiseach Albert Reynolds explained to the British prime minister why the IRA became more active in the run-up to a planned ceasefire

Thu, 24 Feb, 2022

Sinn Fein Leaders
How the Examiner covered the ratification of the Treaty in 1922
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified by the Dáil by a tiny majority 100 years ago today. Here, we look at how it was covered by this paper at the time. 

Fri, 07 Jan, 2022

State Papers: Top civil servant found EPA establishment 'objectionable' due to jobs fears
State Papers: Top civil servant found EPA establishment 'objectionable' due to jobs fears
Businesses would not set up in a country where they had to go through environmental regulations, claimed Dermot Nally in 1990

Sat, 01 Jan, 2022

State Papers: Omagh aftermath, stolen Prussian jewels and Haughey's otter exemption
State Papers: Omagh aftermath, stolen Prussian jewels and Haughey's otter exemption
Here's some of what we have learned on the final day of the releases:

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Ahern told Blair Real IRA not 'overly active' two weeks before Omagh bomb 
State Papers: Ahern told Blair Real IRA not 'overly active' two weeks before Omagh bomb 
Then taoiseach Bertie Ahern told British prime minister Tony Blair that surveillance showed 'key people' were 'not doing an awful lot'

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

Blair and Mowlam - Castle Buildings Stormont
State Papers: Tony Blair devoted 'little of his time and energy to Northern Ireland' before 1995
That insight came as Irish officials and diplomats sought to cultivate contacts in the Labour Party and help shape the policy of any future Blair administration

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

Omagh Bomb families win legal case
State Papers: Adams and Ahern hoped 'some good' might come from Omagh bomb trauma
Then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told Tony Blair two weeks before the Omagh bombing that the Real IRA did not seem to be "overly active".

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Government told GAA it could do nothing about rising costs of hurleys
State Papers: Government told GAA it could do nothing about rising costs of hurleys
The Minister for Finance at the time, Albert Reynolds, admitted his hands were tied because European law prevented him from lowering the cost of sports equipment through tax cuts

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Haughey the hunter agreed to exemption for otters
State Papers: Haughey the hunter agreed to exemption for otters
Up to 1990, four hunts located in the south-west were granted licences each year to hunt otter between April and October

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Prussian princess appealed to Hillery over jewels stolen in Dublin
State Papers: Prussian princess appealed to Hillery over jewels stolen in Dublin
She was attacked and tied up along with other dinner guests by masked raiders armed with machine guns

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

DENIS SCANNELL
State Papers: Mayo man demands State help to secure IR£8m for Czarist bonds
Businessman requested help from minister for foreign affairs Brian Lenihan in February 1989 to obtain monies which he claimed was owed to him from the Soviet government on foot of bonds that had been issued during World War I by the government of Czar Nicholas I

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Ballybunion Clinton statue owes origins to Dick Spring's US visit
State Papers: Ballybunion Clinton statue owes origins to Dick Spring's US visit
The US president joked that the US would provide $300m in aid to Northern Ireland if he could complete a round of golf in under 80 strokes

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Row between US and Ireland over hotel rooms for Reagan's Tipperary visit 
State Papers: Row between US and Ireland over hotel rooms for Reagan's Tipperary visit 
US officials complained Irish authorities were planning to accommodate president Ronald Reagan’s staff and travelling US media in 41 different hotels during the visit to Ballyporeen in 1984

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State papers: Irish College in Rome 'quite unsure' of location of Liberator's death bed
State papers: Irish College in Rome 'quite unsure' of location of Liberator's death bed
Irish diplomats believed the Irish College in Rome was unaware of the location of the death bed of Daniel O’Connell when a request was made for its return to Ireland 30 years ago.

Thu, 30 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Bill Clinton's Christmas tree and John Bruton avoids a trip to Cork
State Papers: Bill Clinton's Christmas tree and John Bruton avoids a trip to Cork
The records cover the period from 1992 to 1998

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

Coronavirus - Thu Jul 2, 2020
State Papers: UK Civil servant suggested creation of ‘commonwealth of Ireland’ in 1997
'This approach goes much further than acceptance of an Irish dimension, but without embracing a belief that Irish unity must come at some stage;

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR AND TAOISEACH JOHN BRUTO
State Papers: Officials stage-managed Bruton and Major's 'spontaneous' pub visit
The British prime minister and his wife, Norma, also saw a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the National Concert Hall which Mr Major described as “a truly marvellous evening.” 

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Roger Casement guns feared 'illegally exported' to 'naive' US collector
State Papers: Roger Casement guns feared 'illegally exported' to 'naive' US collector
In 1990, the collector had bought the German Luger 9mm firearms, which were believed to have been kept at a depot in Dublin's Clancy Barracks

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

National Archives records released
State Papers: EU rules nearly blocked arrival of Clinton Christmas tree to Belfast
Rules on plant health threatened to prevent the gifting of a 60ft Christmas tree to Belfast from sister city Nashville

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

Maze Prison Northern Ireland
State Papers: Maze tunnel was 'therapy' as leaders never intended escape to happen
The Republican leadership in the prison did not want the tunnel plot to work over fears “hard-line Republican prisoners” could escape and attempt to derail negotiations for a renewed IRA ceasefire

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

(FILES) Picture taken 13 July 1985 in Lo
State Papers: Geldof's own description of 'colourful character' ruled him out of Nobel nomination
State files show the then Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald, was considering nominating Live Aid frontman, Bob Geldof for a Nobel Prize.

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Fine Gael leader not a fan of 1996 Cork visit
State Papers: Fine Gael leader not a fan of 1996 Cork visit
State records show John Bruton was also forced to issue an apology to the Cork-based radio station, 96FM, in April 1995 for his treatment of one of its reporters

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Cork Irish Steel plant's State aid package caused rift between Bruton and Major
State Papers: Cork Irish Steel plant's State aid package caused rift between Bruton and Major
The European Commission had recommended allowing State aid for Irish Steel together with all the EU member states excluding the UK

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

WAR Iraq/Kuwait 11
Diplomats had 'black humour' handbook for public queries on loved ones
Unknown officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs resorted to black humour to create a list of interpretations of common responses to queries from members of the public about family members trapped in Kuwait and Iraq in late 1990, according to ...

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

John Major and Albert Reynolds
Ireland is not ruled by Rome, Reynolds told Major
Albert Reynolds told John Major that Ireland is "not ruled by Rome", during a meeting in which the Irish side expressed frustration at the attitude of unionists to talks on Northern Ireland.

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

State Papers: Bruton rubbished game hunting bonding trip for NI leaders
State Papers: Bruton rubbished game hunting bonding trip for NI leaders
Proposals to host Northern Ireland’s political leaders at a remote game reserve in South Africa for a bonding exercise to advance the peace process was described as a "rubbish" idea by Taoiseach John Bruton.

Wed, 29 Dec, 2021

State papers reveal jumbo-sized dispute over cost of transporting elephant
State papers reveal jumbo-sized dispute over cost of transporting elephant
The gift of a live elephant was presented to the Irish president during a visit to the then Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

British believed Gerry Adams was on IRA Army Council in 1994
British believed Gerry Adams was on IRA Army Council in 1994
Gerry Adams has always denied that he was a member of the IRA

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

State papers reveal Haughey grumbling about venison pâté and trout sauce
State papers reveal Haughey grumbling about venison pâté and trout sauce
A memo recorded by an official in the Department of the Taoiseach noted that Mr Haughey "described the venison pate — served at the lunch — as a disaster”.

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

Tribunal findings
State Papers: Charlie Haughey told British PM unionists lack sophistication
Taoiseach told John Major in 1991: "Don't attribute too much sophistication and understanding to the unionists"

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi Official Visit In Rome
State Papers: Haughey branded Gaddafi as 'mad' during meeting with John Major
Mr Haughey warned his British counterpart about the unstable nature of the colourful North African leader against a background of Libyan support for the IRA

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

Ballymurphy inquest
State Papers: British were 'apoplectic' at US giving visa waiver to Gerry Adams 
A conference in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel had invited representatives of all the North's main political parties but the unionist parties refused

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

President of Israel visit to UK
State Papers: Boris Johnson 'naïve' on politics of the North
Johnson’s politics were recorded by the Irish official as “Thatcherite and Eurosceptic.”

Tue, 28 Dec, 2021

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