Former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern has reflected on the initial IRA ceasefire that took place three decades ago as an event many thought impossible, following years of clandestine talks. The current generation, below the age of 30, might find it challenging to comprehend the state of Northern Ireland then, after enduring 25 years of continuous conflict, involving paramilitary forces from both communities, the RUC and the British Army.
Ahern highlighted the often forgotten intense escalations and fatalities in the time leading up to the ceasefire, specifically throughout 1993 and into 1994, with the strife appearing to intensify instead of ease. His remarks coincide with the ceasefire’s anniversary.
Although the cessation of hostilities on August 31st 1994 was a significant development at the time, it proved to be transitory. The IRA re-engaged in its bombing activities in London Docklands in February 1996, causing death and injury to 42 individuals.
In July 1997, the IRA proclaimed the reinstatement of its 1994 ceasefire, which prepared the ground for the Belfast Agreement.
In a conversation with the Belfast Telegraph, Ahern revealed that the late Michael McKevitt, a member of the IRA Army Council, expended months traversing throughout Ireland, attempting to obstruct the 1994 ceasefire. McKevitt, who succumbed to cancer in a County Louth hospital in January 2021, subsequently established the renegade republican organisation Real IRA, which was behind the 1998 Omagh bomb that took 29 lives, including children, and left scores injured.
Ahern stated that uncertainty surrounded the ceasefire, given the knowledge of McKevitt’s active opposition around the country. Although the Army Council had taken the decision for ceasefire, it was a fraught period.
In an honest reflection, Mr Ahern confessed that his concerns over the breakdown of the ceasefire persisted until 2003. Renowned globally for his involvement in numerous peace initiatives over the years, Ahern frequently found himself in the position to provide guidance.
Reflecting on the turbulent events from thirty years ago, Ahern recollected that the chances to break free from the vicious cycle of violence and hopelessness seemed increasingly dim with the progression of 1994. He cited the calamity of the Shankill and Warrington bombings which occurred just the previous year.
In response to such a challenging atmosphere, it was essential for the British and Irish governments to devise and propose a political solution that would allow Sinn Féin, spearheaded by Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, to pursue their goals in a peaceful and democratic manner.
Mr Ahern lauded his predecessor, Albert Reynolds, applauding him for his significant contributions to securing the ceasefire. Ahern pointed out that Reynolds faced severe skepticism and criticism for merely holding onto the belief that an end to violence was possible.