The 1998 Good Friday Agreement - Paddy O'Hanlon

[ballela-angel]

I just finished reading Paddy O'Hanlon's book "End of Term Report" which chronicles his anonymous authoring of the Good Friday Agreement - It makes for fascinating reading - Paddy was a sound GAA man from Mullaghbawn, Co Armagh and played football for St Colman's College,Mullaghbawn, UCD and Armagh - Paddy was heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement and later became one of the founding members of the SDLP - He later became a barrister and just before his death, he worked for the tribunal that looked into the deaths of Bloody Sunday in Derry - He authored the Good Friday Agreement anonymously, as it was correctly believed that if either the Provos or Paisley's lot thought there were SDLP or Irish Government fingerprints on such a document, they would reject it out of hand - Paddy wrote the document at the initial request of Frank Feeley (SDLP - Newry) and the finished document was given to Eamon Mc Kee of Foreign Affairs in the Irish Government (with a confidential copy given to Frank Feeley and to Seamus Mallon) - The document was then given to the British Government, who used the document as a starting point at the all-party talks in January 1998 - The document was used as the basis for all discussion in all subsequent discussions, which led to the Good Friday Agreement of that year.
I knew Paddy well, went to school with him (a few years apart) and had him stay with me here in Vermont for a visit - He was an Armagh-man through and through and loved the GAA and all that it stood for, and his happiest times were when he played for "The Bawn" - He wrote a novel entitled "The Crossmaglen Dispatch", which isn't great, but a good read on a cold winter's night
Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP - The SDLP, and especially the founding members, are the primary reason why there is peace in the North and why the new generation of Catholics in the north will grow up with self-confidence and self-esteem in  abundance that previous generations could not even fantasize about, and Paddy O'Hanlon is a member of that group

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Good post.

[Dubh driocht]

Good post indeed BA.Paddy also wrote a book of short stories called Skysong and was a Great Gael who has left an important legacy. Am reading 'End of Term Report' myself- drink was a curse in his life but there's a great photograph of John Hume,Austin Currie and himself on the steps of 10 Downing Street- later joined by Bernadette Devlin for a two day hunger-strike in protest of the treatment of detainees.One of the better men to come out of Mullaghbawn !

[Windmill abu]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP - The SDLP, and especially the founding members, are the primary reason why there is peace in the North and why the new generation of Catholics in the north will grow up with self-confidence and self-esteem in  abundance that previous generations could not even fantasize about, and Paddy O'Hanlon is a member of that group

I do not refer to the S.D.L.P. as stoops, nor have I done so in the past.

There have been Nationalist politicians who have argued the case for fair and equal treatment of the catholic minority for years before the SDLP was formed.

Nevertheless these arguments fell on the deaf ears of the Unionist majority and the British Government in London.

It was the decision of Bobby Sands to give his life that showed the British establishment what Irish people would do for "fair treatment" and brought us to where we are today.

We should not forget that Bobby Sands "convicted terrorist" won the Fermanagh South Tyrone by-election beating the Unionist Leader Harry West.

Since then nationalist voters have voted in greater numbers than before and usually for the party that represents the legacy of Bobby Sands.

While Paddy O'Hanlon's contribution should be recognised for it's part in the Peace Process, It will not come close to the Irish people who gave their lives in pursuit of the same

[muppet]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP - The SDLP, and especially the founding members, are the primary reason why there is peace in the North and why the new generation of Catholics in the north will grow up with self-confidence and self-esteem in  abundance that previous generations could not even fantasize about, and Paddy O'Hanlon is a member of that group

I do not refer to the S.D.L.P. as stoops, nor have I done so in the past.

There have been Nationalist politicians who have argued the case for fair and equal treatment of the catholic minority for years before the SDLP was formed.

Nevertheless these arguments fell on the deaf ears of the Unionist majority and the British Government in London.

It was the decision of Bobby Sands to give his life that showed the British establishment what Irish people would do for "fair treatment" and brought us to where we are today.

We should not forget that Bobby Sands "convicted terrorist" won the Fermanagh South Tyrone by-election beating the Unionist Leader Harry West.

Since then nationalist voters have voted in greater numbers than before and usually for the party that represents the legacy of Bobby Sands.

While Paddy O'Hanlon's contribution should be recognised for it's part in the Peace Process, It will not come close to the Irish people who gave their lives in pursuit of the same

Irish people gave their lives for their beliefs long before Bobby Sands.

Irish people died before, during and after the famine, preferring to turn down lifesaving food rather than becoming a protestant.

[thebigfella]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP - The SDLP, and especially the founding members, are the primary reason why there is peace in the North and why the new generation of Catholics in the north will grow up with self-confidence and self-esteem in  abundance that previous generations could not even fantasize about, and Paddy O'Hanlon is a member of that group

I do not refer to the S.D.L.P. as stoops, nor have I done so in the past.

There have been Nationalist politicians who have argued the case for fair and equal treatment of the catholic minority for years before the SDLP was formed.

Nevertheless these arguments fell on the deaf ears of the Unionist majority and the British Government in London.

It was the decision of Bobby Sands to give his life that showed the British establishment what Irish people would do for "fair treatment" and brought us to where we are today.

We should not forget that Bobby Sands "convicted terrorist" won the Fermanagh South Tyrone by-election beating the Unionist Leader Harry West.

Since then nationalist voters have voted in greater numbers than before and usually for the party that represents the legacy of Bobby Sands.

While Paddy O'Hanlon's contribution should be recognised for it's part in the Peace Process, It will not come close to the Irish people who gave their lives in pursuit of the same

Seriously? You actually believe that was the reason we are where we are today?

[glens abu]

I would say Bobby Sands and the rest of the Hunger strikers dying giving rise to Sinn Fein in the North had a much bigger influence on the GFA and bringing peace to this island than anything Paddy O'Hanlon or the rest of the stoops ever did bar John Hume.

[Nally Stand]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP....

There are ample reasons why the term 'stoops' will always be appropriate. Just one being that while collusion was rife, the stoops were urging us all to co-operate with the RUC. Sure collusion was just republican propaganda after all, eh?

[Agent Orange]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP....

There are ample reasons why the term 'stoops' will always be appropriate. Just one being that while collusion was rife, the stoops were urging us all to co-operate with the RUC. Sure collusion was just republican propaganda after all, eh?

Don't Sinn Fein co-operate with the PSNI, are they not now sitting on policing boards across Northern Ireland or did I just make that up?
It could be argued that they always did co-operate in one way or another.
Just who has stooped the most? At least the SDLP are consistent. I wonder what the SDLPs position is on the prisoner issue, Sinn Fein seem unusually quiet.

An excellent post from the ballela angel by the way.

[Nally Stand]

Just a word to some members of this board who use disparaging terms such as "stoops" when referring to the SDLP....

There are ample reasons why the term 'stoops' will always be appropriate. Just one being that while collusion was rife, the stoops were urging us all to co-operate with the RUC. Sure collusion was just republican propaganda after all, eh?

Don't Sinn Fein co-operate with the PSNI, are they not now sitting on policing boards across Northern Ireland or did I just make that up?
It could be argued that they always did co-operate in one way or another.
Just who has stooped the most? At least the SDLP are consistent. I wonder what the SDLPs position is on the prisoner issue, Sinn Fein seem unusually quiet.

An excellent post from the ballela angel by the way.

Yes SF are co-operating with the PSNI now. How many people have the PSNI colluded in the murder of this year? I'd say a lot less than any year in the RUC era, wouldn't you? You know, the same RUC which the stoops recommended we co-operated with while collusion was at it's worst?

[Agent Orange]

How many murders did Sinn Fein members have a hand in?

[Nally Stand]

How many murders did Sinn Fein members have a hand in?

Whataboutery & subject changing? Brilliant idea!!

[Agent Orange]

Just following your lead.

[Nally Stand]

Just following your lead.

Ah so the OP asked about the SDLP being referred to as stoops...I gave a reason for it... and as such that is then whataboutery and subject changing? 

[Nally Stand]

At least the SDLP are consistent....

Indeed they are that. They supported the RUC back in the day; and then as recently as June 2007, the stoops went into the Assembly and voted for an increased pension package for RUC part-time reservists (and just to insult collusion victims that little bit more, they did so so the day after the PPS announced it would not be prosecuting any former or serving British soldier, RUC or PSNI officer arising from the Stevens inquiry findings).