“This is the decision of a lifetime for peace in Ireland. You must get it done. You must do it for yourselves and your children.” —US President Bill Clinton, at White House addressing Irish political leaders, The Irish Times, 18 March 1998 #northernireland #ireland #qotd #otd #gfa
Exploring Nonviolence: Lessons from McAleese and the Humes
The power of peacebuilding: McAleese’s personal toll and Hume’s enduring call for dialogueby Allan LEONARD20 February 2026 The John and Pat Hume Foundation recently hosted a significant gathering at Clonard Monastery to reflect on the enduring legacy of John and Pat Hume in achieving peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Father Ciaran O’Callaghan, Vice-Director of Clonard,... Continue Reading →
GFA and Windsor Framework ‘tributes to complexity’: McDonagh at JHISS
GFA and Windsor Framework ‘tributes to complexity’: McDonagh at JHISS by Allan LEONARD 24 July 2003 At the opening address of this year’s John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh, Bobby McDonagh, former Irish Ambassador to the UK and Permanent Representative to the EU, explored themes of the nature of identity, the beauty of complexity,... Continue Reading →
‘We have institutions to build a better future’: Bríd Rodgers
‘We have institutions to build a better future’: Bríd Rodgers by Allan LEONARD 14 April 2023 As part of its Origins & Legacies: The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement project at the Linen Hall Library, some of the protagonists of the negotiations from across the political spectrum shared their insights at The Origins of the Agreement event.... Continue Reading →
Art can transcend GFA ‘institutional sclerosis’: Paul Arthur
Art can transcend GFA ‘institutional sclerosis’: Paul Arthur by Allan LEONARD 13 April 2023 Professor Paul Arthur (Ulster University) suggested that the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement could be interpreted as “the end of the beginning”, when we moved from a political life of zero-sum (if you’re winning, I must be losing), to one of agreeing to... Continue Reading →
The memorials in our heads: the Im/material Monument (Gail Ritchie)
The memorials in our heads: the Im/material Monument (Gail Ritchie) by Allan LEONARD 11 April 2023 As the information sheet for Gail Ritchie’s exhibition, The Im/material Monument, points out, 25 years after the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement there is no memorial to commemorate the collective dead of the Troubles. Through a series of... Continue Reading →
‘Human peace wall’ marks Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary
‘Human peace wall’ marks Good Friday Agreement's 25th anniversary by Allan LEONARD 7 April 2023 A “human peace wall” event at a Belfast interface marked the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. About 100 people lined up from the Falls Road to the Shankill Road end on Northumberland Street, forming a line of solidarity... Continue Reading →
Good Friday Agreement ‘best thing that’s happened on this island in the last 100 years’: Coveney
Good Friday Agreement ‘best thing that’s happened on this island in the last 100 years’: Coveney by Allan LEONARD 19 October 2022 Minister Simon Coveney TD, Ireland Minister for Foreign Affairs, resumed his speech that was interrupted by a bomb scare earlier this year in north Belfast. He was the keynote speaker guest as part... Continue Reading →
Sustaining hope for peace: Global Conflict 2018
Sustaining hope for peace: Global Conflict 2018 by Allan LEONARD 23 August 2018 In partnership with the University of Chicago and its Pearson Institute, Queen’s University Belfast hosted a two-day conference, “Global Conflict: The Human Impact”. This report recounts the first day’s events, which focussed on sharing learning from the peace processes in Northern Ireland... Continue Reading →
“To change the riverflow of history”: Constitutional pasts and futures
“To change the riverflow of history”: Constitutional pasts and futures by Allan LEONARD 8 May 2018 Political and legal scholars, peacemakers and peacebuilders convened at the Royal Irish Academy to review and discuss potential constitutional relationships between Ireland and the United Kingdom, especially vis-a-vis Northern Ireland and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the import of... Continue Reading →
Northern Ireland ten years after the Good Friday Agreement
Northern Ireland ten years after the Good Friday Agreement: a Northern Ireland Foundation workshop at Liberal International Congress by Allan LEONARD 17 May 2008 As part of the Liberal International Congress events, the Northern Ireland Foundation led a workshop at the Europa Hotel on Saturday, 17 May. The topic was “Northern Ireland ten years after... Continue Reading →