Thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, signed on 10 April 1998, an entire generation on the island of Ireland has grown up free from the shadow of violence. 

The Agreement allowed us to reimagine what we think of ourselves and of each other. It transformed how the world saw our island and its potential. 

The insecurity and violence of the Troubles gave way to a new confidence and hope for a better future. Northern Ireland has become a favoured location for international investment. Harnessing the potential of the all-island economy has created opportunities for families and communities across the island. 

Together we have achieved things that previous generations thought impossible: from paramilitary decommissioning, to reformed policing, to an entire infrastructure for political engagement and cooperation East-West, North-South and within Northern Ireland. 

For many, this is an ‘imperfect peace’. Much work remains for us to truly fulfil the vision and values of the Agreement that was signed in Belfast and to make sure that all communities and all traditions can fully reap the benefits of peace. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government of Ireland remains profoundly committed to the ongoing journey of peace and reconciliation on and between these islands. 

In 1969, non-violent campaigners for civil rights were met with a hostile and repressive response from the authorities.  The period also saw violent activity by paramilitary organisations representing minor elements within both communities. This was the beginning of the period known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The Troubles cost over 3,500 lives, with many more injured and traumatised. Each of those lost left behind a grieving family, many of whom would spend decades searching for truth and justice. The lives and potential destroyed by acts of violence became a blight that remains a struggle to this day.  Communities across Ireland and Britain were deeply impacted. A geography of trauma from Derry to Ballymurphy and Kingsmill, Dublin, Monaghan and Birmingham, Enniskillen and Omagh to London, is etched deeply in many hearts.

The Troubles entrenched divisions in Northern Ireland. Communities only streets apart observed strict segregation. Normal political life was made impossible, epitomised by the prorogation of Stormont in 1972. With the exception of a brief period in 1974, Northern Ireland was governed directly from London until the Good Friday Agreement made a new democratic dispensation possible. 

In the 1980s with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the British and Irish Governments started to find structured ways to work together towards a negotiated, political solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Personal relationships from the level of Prime Minister and Taoiseach right down to officials working on day-to-day issues helped to create bonds of understanding and greater appreciation for the different perspectives on issues. This cooperation culminated in the Good Friday Agreement, which was agreed between the Northern Irish parties and the Irish and British Governments on 10 April 1998.

The two Governments’ roles and responsibilities as co-guarantors of the Agreement remains a defining feature of the bilateral relationship today.

The Good Friday Agreement states that the best way in which to honour those who died or who were injured is to redouble our efforts “to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all.”

The legacy of the past continues to deeply affect many families and communities across these islands. After the almost unimaginable trauma and loss they suffered during the Troubles, victims and their families were asked to make significant sacrifices that were pivotal to achieving peace, including around the release of prisoners who had perpetrated violent attacks. As with many post-conflict societies, Northern Ireland today continues to struggle with the legacy of violence, including through elevated levels of mental health issues and suicide. 

Reconciliation remains a key goal of the Good Friday Agreement. This cannot be fully achieved without adequately addressing the legacy of the past, in a way that respects international human rights law and centres the needs of victims. Victims have often been frustrated by lack of progress in the attainment of truth, justice and accountability. Without an agreed way forward on addressing the legacy of the past, genuine and deep reconciliation will remain a challenge.

The Good Friday Agreement was achieved as a result of people from diverse political and civic backgrounds bravely coming together to work for peace. They faced down critics in their own parties and communities to make Northern Ireland a better place. 

Activists from civil society fought hard to ensure that diverse voices had an input into the Good Friday Agreement. Some of the most pivotal actors of the peace process remain unacknowledged. Many women, in particular, played pivotal parts in their communities in building meaningful connections across divides, diverting young people away from violence, and demanding a better future. 

Peace is the work of generations. What was achieved in 1998 did not happen overnight, but was made possible by years of ground-work put in by civic and political leaders from across Ireland and Britain. Each step taken, from the Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985), to the Downing Street Declaration (1993), to paramilitary ceasefires in the years leading to 1998, put us on a surer footing to peace. Each act of trust created new possibilities and new opportunities for leadership. 

Today, civil society leadership from across the traditions and communities of this island remains at the heart of the process of peace and reconciliation. Supporting this work is a key priority for the Government of Ireland, through mechanisms such as the Reconciliation Fund, International Fund for Ireland, Shared Island Fund and EU PEACE monies.