Press secretary post PJ Mara. Book is a pretty good insider account of the ups and downs of a Taoiseach. Quite entertaining in parts. Most of the decisions seem to have been made on the fly.
My recollection of the book is that Reynolds told Duignan some time in 92/93 that he had a hunch about the North and that is what kicked off the peace process.
RIP Albert Reynolds.
I’m thoroughly confused about the fact that Reynolds and Ahern are remembered, by many, primarily for their work in the peace process. The main role Reynolds played was in steadying the economy in solid but not particularly inventive fashion. He was firmly from the shopkeeper-turned-politician mode that most of our political class spring from. Good with cheques and balances and completely non-descript on social issues such as abortion where he did what every senior FF or FG politician ever did and looked to produce some wishy-washy compromise that would keep everyone happy. He was a middle of the road, steady the ship type and that seems to be what the Irish people want so I guess that makes him a decent Taoiseach.
Let’s just put the whole ‘Reynolds and Ahern made the IRA surrender’ myth to bed. Seriously, the way this shite has been swallowed and then presented as fact by people who should know better is astonishing. No man of the gun would ever say to his colleagues, ‘lads this new Taoiseach/Prime Minister/American President is really making an impression on me and I’ve decided to put away the gun and sit down for peace talks. I fully intended on continuing the armed struggle forever until I heard what this politician had to say.’ The peace process was due to internal discourse within the IRA and Sinn Fein. Major, Blair, Clinton, Reynolds and Ahern were in the right place at the right time. Not having a go at Reynolds here, he wasn’t the worst Taoiseach we ever had, God knows we’ve had some worse ones, but for the sake of history let’s remember how things actually happened.
[QUOTE=“Nick Rivers, post: 1004107, member: 2763”]RIP Albert Reynolds.
I’m thoroughly confused about the fact that Reynolds and Ahern are remembered, by many, primarily for their work in the peace process. The main role Reynolds played was in steadying the economy in solid but not particularly inventive fashion. He was firmly from the shopkeeper-turned-politician mode that most of our political class spring from. Good with cheques and balances and completely non-descript on social issues such as abortion where he did what every senior FF or FG politician ever did and looked to produce some wishy-washy compromise that would keep everyone happy. He was a middle of the road, steady the ship type and that seems to be what the Irish people want so I guess that makes him a decent Taoiseach.
Let’s just put the whole ‘Reynolds and Ahern made the IRA surrender’ myth to bed. Seriously, the way this shite has been swallowed and then presented as fact by people who should know better is astonishing. No man of the gun would ever say to his colleagues, ‘lads this new Taoiseach/Prime Minister/American President is really making an impression on me and I’ve decided to put away the gun and sit down for peace talks. I fully intended on continuing the armed struggle forever until I heard what this politician had to say.’ The peace process was due to internal discourse within the IRA and Sinn Fein and Major, Blair, Clinton, Reynolds and Ahern were in the right place at the right time. Not having a go at Reynolds here, he wasn’t the worst Taoiseach we ever had, God knows we’ve had some worse ones, but for the sake of history let’s remember how things actually happened.[/QUOTE]
That’s all very well until you consider the disaster that Bruton was for the peace process, setting it back years.
Good point on Bruton and let’s not forget Thatcher as well.
You certainly needed some qualities as a politician to get the peace process moving but their role was purely to act as facilitators; they were not instigators and that’s the critical element of truth that is being lost and listening to the radio this morning on the way to work I got the distinct impression that Reynolds, along with other politicians, was responsible for the peace process. All that was required from Major, Blair, Ahern, Reynolds and Clinton was that they act diplomatically – something that was beyond that pig-headed bitch Thatcher – and it’s not too much to expect a politician to be diplomatic, that’s their fecking job.
If you say so Walter, after all, I don’t know what plamasing means.
[QUOTE=“Nick Rivers, post: 1004107, member: 2763”]RIP Albert Reynolds.
Let’s just put the whole ‘Reynolds and Ahern made the IRA surrender’ myth to bed. Seriously, the way this shite has been swallowed and then presented as fact by people who should know better is astonishing. No man of the gun would ever say to his colleagues, ‘lads this new Taoiseach/Prime Minister/American President is really making an impression on me and I’ve decided to put away the gun and sit down for peace talks. I fully intended on continuing the armed struggle forever until I heard what this politician had to say.’ The peace process was due to internal discourse within the IRA and Sinn Fein and Major, Blair, Clinton, Reynolds and Ahern were in the right place at the right time. Not having a go at Reynolds here, he wasn’t the worst Taoiseach we ever had, God knows we’ve had some worse ones, but for the sake of history let’s remember how things actually happened.[/QUOTE]
The IRA was all but defeated militarily when Reynolds took office. It just happened that their final surrender came during his tenure.
That was Ruari Quinn
That’s four times you’ve dropped that worm into the pond and you still haven’t had a bite.
if you’re going to pull people up for mistakes, do please try and be the first.
[QUOTE=“Nick Rivers, post: 1004126, member: 2763”]Good point on Bruton and let’s not forget Thatcher as well.
You certainly needed some qualities as a politician to get the peace process moving but their role was purely to act as facilitators; they were not instigators and that’s the critical element of truth that is being lost and listening to the radio this morning on the way to work I got the distinct impression that Reynolds, along with other politicians, was responsible for the peace process. All that was required from Major, Blair, Ahern, Reynolds and Clinton was that they act diplomatically – something that was beyond that pig-headed bitch Thatcher – and it’s not too much to expect a politician to be diplomatic, that’s their fecking job.[/QUOTE]
No.
Reynolds was not a facilitator, he was an instigator. He had to bring that cunt Major along with him, Major who was beholden to Unionism. Reynolds had to instigate this while dodging Dick Spring and Dessie Malley who would have been aghast if they knew the full extent of the communication with the provos. Blair, Ahern, Clinton, everyone, came in after this.
I’m a republican sympathetic to the republican cause, but some of the shite being spouted on this thread is beyond stupid.
Sorry pal, my bad, though not as bad as your bad.
The Baltic Exchange was 1992, their finest hour and the real reason for the peace process. Even Dr Paisley concedes this.
[QUOTE=“farmerinthecity, post: 1003901, member: 24”]I really disliked Albert Reynolds. I found him to be a huge egomaniac - very quick to big up his ‘achievements’, while at the same time, if the stories are true, was as crooked as hell.
Everyone goes on about his role in the peace process and how he ‘brought about the first IRA ceasefire’. Bullshit. That ceasefire was on the cards from the early 80s when Adams made the first moves to Fr Alec Reid that the IRA were ready to give up their guns. There were discussions with Haughey and even Thatcher after that as well as John Major. All it took for Albert to do was to not fuck it up. In fairness to him, he managed that unlike Bruton a couple of years later.
If you compare his legacy on the North to that of Bertie, it pales insignificance. Bertie reached out to the Unionists and along with Blair managed to bring them into the peace process. First Trimble and then incredibly Paisley.
[/QUOTE]
A case in point, this has to be one of the more stupid posts i’ve read on this site. The IRA ceasefire was on the cards from the early 80’s when Adams told Alec Reid they were ready to lay down their guns? Were you alive in 1987? What fucking discussions with Haughey? What are you talking about? Bertie reached out to the Unionists? So Albert talking to Gusty Spence wasn’t significant was it?
All it took was for Albert to not fuck it up.
For fucks sake.
It seems to be accepted that the IRA was infiltrated with informers and agents up to the highest levels. Scappaticci, McShane were agents and were directing deaths of other so called informers. Led to Loughall, Gibraltar disasters for the IRA. Beginning of electronic surveillance in 90s must have impacted too. IRA probably could have continued with certain level of activity but chances of detection were much increased.
There was a line too after Enniskillen and IRA couldn’t go ahead with no warning bombs. No appetite remained. Al along there were moves towards peace and Reynolds managed to bring people with him and start a process. You need all participants to do that so saying one person is responsible isn’t true but he did play an important part in it and saw it as important enough to devote the time and energy to it at a time when a lot of people in the South saw NI as a lost cause that would never be fixed and not worth bothering with.
Yes/Sort of. This is why @Bartosz Bereszynskiego[/USER] has appointed [USER=2692]@Joe Player as his right hand man.
[QUOTE=“TheUlteriorMotive, post: 1004139, member: 2272”]It seems to be accepted that the IRA was infiltrated with informers and agents up to the highest levels. Scappaticci, McShane were agents and were directing deaths of other so called informers. Led to Loughall, Gibraltar disasters for the IRA. Beginning of electronic surveillance in 90s must have impacted too. IRA probably could have continued with certain level of activity but chances of detection were much increased.
There was a line too after Enniskillen and IRA couldn’t go ahead with no warning bombs. No appetite remained. Al along there were moves towards peace and Reynolds managed to bring people with him and start a process. You need all participants to do that so saying one person is responsible isn’t true but he did play an important part in it and saw it as important enough to devote the time and energy to it at a time when a lot of people in the South saw NI as a lost cause that would never be fixed and not worth bothering with.[/QUOTE]
Finally.
Exactly, he didn’t do it all, but basically he was exactly the right man at the right time, didn’t have skin in the game, so could go in and talk and negotiate without fear or favour. It’s a good point you make about attitudes in the south at the time as well.
I never liked him but he appeared to want as Taoiseach to drive the process forward and I believe he deserves some credit for that.
R.I.P.
What was this?
An IRA bombing