Page 85 - David Trimble News Today

US President will urge the unionists to return to power-sharing at Stormont, but his Irish roots make him a divisive figure for many

The DUP should have talked directly to Sinn Féin before it did, even though that would have dismayed the supporters of a party which had vowed never to talk to republicans, former leader Peter Robinson has said.

US President Joe Biden is in Ireland to mark 25 years of Belfast Agreement

The DUP should have talked directly to Sinn Féin before it did, even though that would have dismayed the supporters of a party which had vowed never to talk to republicans, former leader Peter Robinson has said.

One of the stars that aligned when Tony Blair felt the hand of history on his shoulder 25 years ago was the changing politics of the Irish lobby in the US. For years, American money had been funnelled to the IRA through an organisation called Noraid.

Former taoiseach and leader of the Fianna Fáil party talks about his parents, the Belfast Agreement, the Planning Tribunal and his plans for the future

There was a deal on the issue of the new regional parliament, a power—sharing assembly. there is a famous picture that was captured of you embracing a party colleague. that was when seamus mallon came down from the rooms where we were negotiating and told us they had made a breakthrough on the assembly situation and trimble had agreed to it. we were so relieved. i mean, i threw my arms around him and i said, "i cant believe it!" because that had been a very tough negotiation. the deadline pass...

Theres the party as a whole, the movement, the broad republican movement. the agreement received rockstar backing. u2, the biggest irish band ever, put on a campaign concert as people were deciding how to vote on the deal. one of the things i remember was being slightly frustrated by members of the class who i deemed to be more politically conservative than me, and kind of feeling like the stakes for me feel higher. like, one of my father murderers is going to get out on good friday — and did ...

Disarm, so tony blair wrote a letter to david trimble. i thought maybe we had lost it but then i gave the additional commitment to the unionists. this is where david trimble did exercise real leadership. he sold that commitment to his delegation. david came into the room and there was a lot of tension. he stood up on a chair or a table and he said that it was his intention to go up the stairs to george mitchell to tell him he was going to accept the agreement. a few minutes before five oclock in...

But i also recognise that we were trying to get their goal. i used to see people from other parties, talking to people, and saying to them afterwards, do you not know who they are? these are some of the most wanted people in europe, and you dont even know youre talking to. the ulster unionist party, led by david trimble, was the largest unionist group, and took the risk of remaining. if you had come to the conclusion that the only way you could defend your interests was to physically be at the t...