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Irish Treaties
- Belfast Agreement 1998
- The Belfast agreement was the product of several years negotiation
"
...We, the participants in the multi-party negotiations, believe that the agreement we have negotiated offers a truly historic opportunity for a new beginning. The tragedies of the past have left a deep and profoundly regrettable legacy of suffering...
"
- Anglo Irish Treaty 1921
- The Anglo Irish Treaty took Ireland out of The United Kingdom and was the cause of the Irish Civil War
"
...Ireland shall have the same constitutional status in the Community of Nations known as the British Empire as the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand and the Union of South Africa, with a Parliament having powers to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Ireland and an Executive responsible to that Parliament, and shall be styled and known as the Irish Free State...
"
- Solumn League and Covenent 1912
- The Solumn League and covenent was signed by thousands of unionists to uphold their position as British citizens.
"Being convinced in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous
to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland,
subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our
citizenship and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are
underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects...
"
- Anglo-Irish agreement 1985
- The Anglo-Irish agreement was deeply resented by Unionists
"Wishing further to develop the unique relationship between
their peoples and the close co-operation between their countries as
friendly neighbours and as partners in the European Community;
Recognising the major interest of both their countries and, above
all, of' the people of Northern Ireland in diminishing the divisions there
and achieving lasting peace and stability..."
- Sunningdale Agreement 1972
- The Sunningdale agreement collapsed after a general strike by Unionists who opposed it
"The Conference between the British and Irish Governments and the parties involved in the Northern Ireland Executive..."
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Minority Treaties
- The
Vienna Declaration - 9 October 1993
- This Declaration was framed by high representatives of almost
all the States of Europe following the collapse of Communism's
hold over Russia and Eastern Europe.
It mentions several
principles to which these States, including the British State and
the Irish State, formally adhered.
These principles
effectively set out aspirations and expectations about the
relations between States and between Historic
Communities.
"The end of the division of Europe offers
an historic opportunity to consolidate peace and stability on the
continent. All our countries are committed to pluralist and
parliamentary democracy, the indivisibility and universality of
human rights, the rule of law and a common cultural heritage
enriched by its diversity. Europe can thus become a vast area of
democratic security."
- The
Framework Convention on National Minorities 1995
- This Convention was formalised on 1st February 1995
by the membership of the Council of Europe with the explicit
intention of protecting within their respective territories the
existence of national minorities.
"Wishing to follow-up
the Declaration of the Heads of State and Government of the member
States of the Council of Europe adopted in Vienna on 9 October
1993...
...Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is
to achieve greater unity between its members for the purpose of
safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are
their common heritage...
...Considering that a pluralist and
genuinely democratic society should not only respect the ethnic,
cultural, linguistic and religious identity of each person
belonging to a national minority, but also create appropriate
conditions enabling them to express, preserve and develop this
identity..."
-
Nationality And Passports
- British Nationality - The Irish Dimension
"Many people ask the question: "What rights does someone born in the Republic of Ireland have to British citizenship?". The first aspect of the issue is to differentiate between British citizenship and British nationality, and the second is to clarify the distinction between holding British nationality and the 'right of abode' in the United Kingdom..."
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