Description

The Making of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985: A Memoir is the remarkable posthumous memoir of Sir David Goodall, one of the principal British officials involved in negotiating the Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed by Garret FitzGerald and Margaret Thatcher on 15 November 1985. Edited by Frank Sheridan and published by the National University of Ireland in association with Four Courts Press, the book provides an unprecedented behind-the-scenes account of one of the most significant diplomatic agreements in modern Irish and British history.

Serving as Deputy Head of both the Foreign Office and the Cabinet Office, Goodall maintained a detailed personal journal throughout the negotiations from September 1983 to December 1985. Long kept under official embargo, these diary entries have been transformed into a compelling narrative that reveals the personalities, tensions, and political calculations behind the agreement.

The Anglo-Irish Agreement was a landmark treaty that, for the first time, gave the Irish Government a formal consultative role in the governance of Northern Ireland while affirming that any constitutional change would depend on the consent of its people. Although controversial when signed, it is now widely regarded as a crucial stepping stone towards the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland peace process.

The book explores a wide range of topics, including:

• The secret negotiations between British and Irish officials
• The political relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Garret FitzGerald
• The role of senior diplomats and civil servants behind the scenes
• Internal debates within the British government
• Anglo-Irish diplomatic relations during the Troubles
• The drafting, compromise, and signing of the 1985 Agreement
• The Agreement’s long-term influence on the peace process

One of the memoir’s greatest strengths is its honesty. Goodall candidly recounts disagreements not only between the British and Irish negotiating teams but also within the British government itself. He describes the complex relationship between the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland Office, and the Prime Minister, offering readers an unusually frank portrait of high-level decision-making.

The volume is enriched by a foreword from Maurice Manning, an introduction by Morwenna Goodall, and contributions from figures closely connected with the negotiations, including Michael Lillis, Charles Powell, Robin Renwick, and Stephen Collins. These additional perspectives help place the memoir within its wider historical and political context.

Written with clarity and insight, The Making of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 combines personal recollection with diplomatic history, making it accessible to both specialists and general readers. It offers a rare opportunity to understand how painstaking negotiation, trust-building, and political perseverance helped reshape relations between Britain and Ireland during one of the most challenging periods of the Troubles.

Ideal for readers interested in Irish history, Northern Ireland, diplomatic history, political memoirs, British-Irish relations, and the peace process, this book is an invaluable first-hand account of a landmark agreement that transformed the political landscape of these islands.