State Papers: UK Civil servant suggested creation of ‘commonwealth of Ireland’ in 1997

'This approach goes much further than acceptance of an Irish dimension, but without embracing a belief that Irish unity must come at some stage;

The powersharing administration at Stormont was first established in 1998 (Peter Morrison/PA)

A senior UK civil servant suggested the creation of a “commonwealth of Ireland” as a new approach to solving difficult north-south relations, newly released archived papers have revealed.

The idea was floated in September 1997, while all-party political talks which would eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement and the creation of the Stormont powersharing institutions were continuing.