Why Attack Napier? – On This Day in 1974

June 17 1974

Sir – Why do the SDLP waste their time attacking Oliver Napier if the Alliance Party is as irrelevant as Seamus Mallon says?

Was Napier’s strongly-spoken advice last week to the British, to end internment immediately, really so irrelevant? Was Napier’s interpretation of the mood in the 26 counties concerning speedy Irish unity all that wrong when at the same time the taoiseach voiced a similar opinion?

Seamus Mallon may not like the realities being spelt out by the Dublin government, but if he does not face them then we will lose more than just our aspirations in Northern Ireland.

For me, Napier’s objective of achieving just partnership in the north is the most pressing and important goal. Like myself, Napier wants sensible co-operation with the south, but he is not willing to jeopardise power-sharing heretofore on an overly formalised version of north-south relationships down the Protestants’ throats.

A letter writer called MLK urges the SDLP to work with the Alliance Party, rather than against it, in offering practical steps to better the lives of people in Northern Ireland.

Masked members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) manning a barricade on the Shankill Road in Belfast in 1972

Towards Dialogue

It has already been believed that if we could get a temporary lull in the raiding and bombing and killing, and if people’s very real fears could be stifled, even for a few days, it could be a guarantee that those who see violence as a form of solution could really begin to talk.

While everybody is going to look twice at the news emerging over the weekend that there is a likelihood of dialogue between the Protestant paramilitary groups and both wings of the IRA, the circumstances of the moment will increase the possibility of hope that some such dialogue can be established.

There is evidence that there was some form of clandestine talks during the recent Ulster Workers’ Council strike between the Official IRA and those who had taken it upon themselves to control our daily lives over the heads of the Executive.

Since then, the Protestant paramilitary groups, already deeply disillusioned by the tactics of their own politicians, have given indications that they would be prepared to look favourably on a widening of such talks to include the Provisional IRA.

Irish News editorial cautiously welcomes the surprise news of potential dialogue between republican and loyalist paramilitaries as an avenue that could help to bring an end to violence. The suggestion by the UDA for dialogue with republicans was, however, rejected by other loyalist groups.