Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict

by David McKittrick

In 1974, as contacts between the IRA and the government developed, there was no shortage of official and unofficial go-betweens. In one unprecedented move a group of senior northern Protestant churchmen travelled south to meet IRA leaders at Feakle in County Clare, reporting back to NIO officials on their talks. IRA demands which included a British declaration of intent to withdraw were conveyed to Rees, the IRA promising a cessation of violence in return. The organisation next delivered a brief ceasefire over the 1974 Christmas period. Rees responded by signing no new internment orders and giving an assurance that security force activity would be scaled down. He also sanctioned official contacts with the republicans to supplement the many unofficial contacts. The IRA ceasefire survived into 1975 and, despite IRA complaints that the British were not responding to their proposals, it was extended and in February declared indefinite. Rees responded by continuing to release detainees, by scaling down army operations in nationalist areas, and by setting up ‘incident centres’ from which republicans could report on events in particular districts.