What exactly is the Good Friday Agreement?

The Belfast Agreement is also known as the Good Friday Agreement, because it was reached on Good Friday, 10 April 1998. It was an agreement between the British and Irish governments, and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland, on how Northern Ireland should be governed.

What are the key elements of the Good Friday Agreement?

Issues relating to sovereignty, civil and cultural rights, decommissioning of weapons, demilitarisation, justice and policing were central to the agreement. The agreement was approved by voters across the island of Ireland in two referendums held on 22 May 1998.

What ended the fighting in Ireland?

The Troubles were brought to an uneasy end by a peace process that included the declaration of ceasefires by most paramilitary organisations, the complete decommissioning of the IRA’s weapons, the reform of the police, and the withdrawal of the British Army from the streets and sensitive Irish border areas such as …

Why did the DUP oppose the Good Friday Agreement?

The DUP’s opposition was based on a number of reasons, including: The early release of paramilitary prisoners. The mechanism to allow Sinn Féin to hold government office despite ongoing IRA activity (of which it was the political wing) The lack of accountability of ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive.

What would a united Ireland be called?

United Ireland, also referred to as Irish reunification, is the proposition that all of Ireland should be a single sovereign state. Achieving a united Ireland is a central tenet of Irish nationalism, particularly of both mainstream and dissident Irish republican political and paramilitary organisations.

Was the troubles a civil war?

All those four elements were present in the so-called Troubles. So, no matter what whatever propaganda says (the British are particularly renowned for disguise civil war situations by criminalisation, as in the Irish War of Independence 50 years before), it can be defined as a civil war.

What does the Good Friday Agreement really mean?

The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement (Irish: Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste; Ulster-Scots: Guid Friday Greeance or Bilfawst Greeance), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, a political conflict in Northern Ireland that had ensued since the late 1960s.

What did the Good Friday Agreement do?

The Good Friday Agreement was a deal between the warring Catholic and Protestant factions in Northern Ireland to bring an end to the troubles. The deal involved eight political parties from Northern Ireland, as well as the British and Irish governments.

What is Good Friday peace agreement?

The Good Friday Agreement and today. The Good Friday Agreement is the cornerstone of our commitment to peace and stability on this island. It was agreed on 10 April 1998 and overwhelmingly approved in 2 referendums in both parts of Ireland in May 1998.

What was the Good Friday Agreement in 1998?

The Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement. The Belfast Agreement is also known as the Good Friday Agreement, because it was reached on Good Friday, 10 April 1998. It was an agreement, between the British and Irish governments and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland , about how Northern Ireland should be governed.