Irish history is rife with political discord, but Ireland is continuing down a path toward stability, the country’s prime minister told a packed Coon Forum on Monday night.
“We’ve been trying very hard, professor, to find a happy ending for your work,” Prime Minister of the Irish Republic Bertie Ahern said during the third annual Heyck Lecture, which honors Northwestern history Prof. Thomas Heyck.
Ahern, who graduated from high school the year “The Troubles” between Irish Catholics and Protestants began, spoke of a time when the evening news was littered with reports of who was killed and who got shot in the knees, who got arrested and for which side they fought.
“(People were) moved by that and said that there’s something they have to do about it,” he said.
Ahern helped orchestrate the Good Friday Accord in 1998 that outlined a peace process for Northern Ireland, a “policy of mutual respect” that he said is the only hope for achieving peace.
The agreement provided for a new Northern Ireland Assembly and a North-South Ministerial Council to deal with mutual issues of interest between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, among other things.
Although critics say the agreement makes Unionists, who favor rule by Great Britain, feel unwelcome in Northern Ireland, Ahern said it also gives the region more of a political voice.
“The agreement is based on the idea that both sides are empowered and all are winners,” he said.
Violence has declined dramatically in Ireland since the agreement, Ahern said, although prosecution rates for violent acts remain too low.
“We must ensure that we leave no doors open to (violence) other than ones to the courthouse and prison,” he said.
Ahern said improvements in Ireland’s economy are proof of the success of the peace process.
“For the first time ever, people are coming home and not going away,” he said.
Ireland’s willingness to join the global economy by developing relationships with the United States and countries in Europe has been a factor, he said. Working with both regions is a double advantage, he said, not a conflict of interest.
Despite the progress, Ahern made it clear that change will continue to be a gradual process.
“The peace process is exactly what it says -it’s a process,” he said.
Still, the North is not ready for a poll to consider the reunion of Ireland, he said.
“Holding such a poll prematurely will polarize the situation,” he said.
Ahern also said he was hopeful that Northern Ireland is now on its way to seeing a police force that will “shake the liabilities of the past” and further the new equality.
Although Evanston resident John O’Connell said he enjoyed the lecture, he disagreed with that point.
“The policing in Northern Ireland hasn’t changed a bit,” O’Connell said.
Hearing a head of state speak at NU was a unique experience, Music freshman Kathleen Poe said.
“It’s really great to have the opportunity to have really influential people come here,” Poe said.
The first Heyck lecture in 2000 featured George Mitchell, nominated for the Nobel Peace prize for his work on the Good Friday Accord. Last year former Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald came to NU.
This time Chicago’s Irish Consulate informed NU that the prime minister would be in the area, Heyck said.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Heyck said of the stature of speakers the series has attracted in its first three years. “We sought the best people we could find who would be of the most interest to students.”
He expressed a need for opportunities to learn about Irish politics.
“About 45 million Americans are of Irish descent, and I think all have an interest in Ireland, but only a relatively small number are aware of the details of current politics,” he said.
He expressed hope that the series of lectures would foster interest in Irish current affairs.
“I certainly hope that this attracts the attention of students so more and more become interested in Irish history,” Heyck said. “(This) presents an opportunity to hear the most first-hand commentary on Irish politics and (to) ask good, hard questions.”
