The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal 1966–1995 and the Search for Peace

by Tim Pat Coogan

Beginning in 1982 (the year of the Adams–Daly exchange) Sinn Fein had made common cause with two of the Six Counties’ small parties, the Irish Independent Party and the People’s Democracy, and attempted to set up a dialogue with the SDLP. The SDLP had, however, always rejected these advances. Now, very courageously, Hume agreed to meet Adams. They held a lengthy meeting on 11 January 1988. They subsequently agreed to set up a series of talks, involving delegations from both parties. On the SDLP side, Hume, Seamus Mallon, Sean Farren and Austin Currie. On that of Sinn Fein, Adams, Tom Hartley, Danny Morrison and Mitchel McLaughlin. It was agreed that they would not have a ‘military agenda’. The Hume–Adams meeting aroused great controversy. It was condemned by the Secretary of State, Tom King, Paisley and Molyneaux. Paisley called for Unionist unity in the face of this ‘new alliance’. Molyneaux claimed that the talks were ‘a fatal step for democracy’, coming so close to a ‘breakthrough’ in the Unionist talks which were then being conducted with the British Government, and which he averred might have led to talks with the SDLP.