FitzGerald to fore as diplomatic ice broken

ANGLO-IRISH relations were seriously scarred by the Haughey government’s attitude during the Falklands War in 1982.

It was not that Mr Haughey adopted a policy of neutrality, but rather that he adopted what Mrs Thatcher and some of her colleague thought was an anti-British strategy.

There was no bilateral meeting between Mr Haughey and Mrs Thatcher during 1982. Neither had shown any interest in meeting each other. During the Irish general election campaign of Nov 1982, Dr FitzGerald stressed “the need to re-establish the working relationship with the British Government”.