Welcome to Ireland!

MODERN HISTORY - WWII TO 1993:

    In 1949 Ireland declared itself a republic and left the Commonwealth. In 1957 Eamonn de Valera, after serving as Prime Minister between 1951 to 1954 and 1957 to 1959, became President until his death in 1973. During the 1960's widespread violence broke out between Protestant and Catholics in Northern Ireland, in which IRA members played a leading role in the fighting. In 1972 a referendum approved the deletion of a "special position" the Catholic Church held from the 1937 constitution. In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Community (EC) and in July 1976 a State of Emergency was declared when the British ambassador to Ireland, Christopher Ewart-Biggs was murdered. As a result anti-terrorist laws were passed so that IRA members could be severely punished. In 1979 Admiral Earl Mountbatten was assassinated and 18 British soldiers were also killed on the same day by the IRA. During 1980 to 1982 attempts were made to establish a joint governmental power sharing system in Northern Ireland, although they were rebuffed by both religious divides. In 1985 Ireland's Premier Garret Fitzgerald and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, signed an agreement known as the Hillsborough Accord that established an advisory council for Northern Ireland. The IRA has continued to stage bombings and other terrorist acts mainly in Northern Ireland but also in England. In 1990 Mary Robinson, a constitutional lawyer, was elected as Ireland's first woman President. In May 1991 an ITV program alleged malpractice and fraud in the labeling and marketing of Irish beef. In response the government setup a full judicial tribunal on Sept. 30, 1991 to investigate the claims. In June 1991 negotiations between all parties were undertaken in the attempt to assimilate the Irish government into Northern Ireland's politics and to transfer power to Belfast after 17 years of direct rule from London. In Dec. 1991 Prime Minister Charles Haughey and his British counterpart John Major agreed to hold regular twice-yearly summits. In 1991 the chairman and senior executives of the Irish Sugar Company and the chairman of Telecom Eireann were implicated in financial scandals through conflict of interest deals and forced to resign. Also during the year the Brooke Initiative in Northern Ireland, a response to Northern Unionists and an alternative to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, failed despite government support. In Feb. 1992 the leader of the ruling Fianna Fail party, Charles Haughey, was forced to resign following allegations that he was involved in the tapping of two political journalists phone lines in 1982 combined with a series of business scandals also link to him. Albert Reynolds, a former finance minister, was elected to succeed Haughey as Prime Minister and formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats, then upon his appointment quickly sacked 8 of the 12 serving Fianna Fail ministers. Later the Progressive Democrats withdrew their support of the coalition after Reynolds wouldn't apologize to the Progressive Democrat leader, Des O'Malley, following accusations that he acted in a "reckless, irresponsible and dishonest" manner in his testimony on Ireland's beef industry. On June 18, 1992 a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty on closer European political and economic union resulted in a 68% yes vote. On Nov. 5, 1992 Prime Minister Reynolds failed to survive a vote of no confidence, following which elections were set for Nov. 25, 1992 that resulted in Reynolds attempting to form a Fienna Fail-Labor coalition government. On the same day as the elections three referenda were to be held on abortion following the case of a 14 year old pregnant rape victim was refused permission by the High Court to travel to England for an abortion. The case was later overturned by the Supreme Court. On Jan. 12, 1993 following a seven-week delay the Fianna Fail party reconciled differences and formed a coalition government with the Labor Party with Reyonlds re-elected as Prime Minister. By the end of Jan. 1993 the newly formed government devaluated the Irish Pound by 10% to protect from further speculative devaluation in the already worsening economic conditions. In May 1993 the Pres. Robinson made the first-ever courtesy call by the Irish head of state on a British monarch by meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. In June 1993 former EU commissioner, Peter Sutherland was appointed as director general of the GATT while in August 1993 with the collapse of the European exchange rate mechanism the government was forced to revise its financial targets. Also in 1993 the leader of the Social Democratic and Labor Party, John Hume, in the face of staled inter party discussions on Northern Ireland met with Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, and held talks on an agreement that would entail the cessation of violence from the IRA in return for Sinn Fein's involvement in all-party talks.

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