State Papers: Bruton rubbished game hunting bonding trip for NI leaders

Proposals to host Northern Ireland’s political leaders at a remote game reserve in South Africa for a bonding exercise to advance the peace process was described as a "rubbish" idea by Taoiseach John Bruton.

An unusual proposal to break the log-jam in peace negotiations in Northern Ireland offered that leaders of the main political parties from the  North could participate collectively in “a midnight game-hunting expedition in South Africa.

An unusual proposal to host a meeting of Northern Ireland’s political leaders at a remote game reserve in South Africa in February 1997 as part of the peace talks process was labelled “rubbish” by the Taoiseach, John Bruton.

The bizarre plans also included the recommendations that leaders of the main political parties from Northern Ireland could participate collectively in “a midnight game-hunting expedition.” “The mind boggles” was the response of Mr Bruton to what presumably was the mental image of Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams and David Trimble on safari in South Africa.