A meeting between British and Irish ministers at Maryfield, the base of the Anglo-Irish Secretariat, descended into jibes over how the BSE crisis was handled north and south of the border. Northern officials accused the Republic of taking a “protectionist response” to the issue, according to newly declassified government files. The documents – which include prime ministerial briefing papers, internal memos and draft reports from within the Northern Ireland Civil Service in the early 1990s – have been made public for the first time under the 20 Year Rule. AgriLand journalist Rachel Martin took an in-depth look at the material in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland ahead of the release.