As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern & The Good Friday Agreement

Liz O’Donnell was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Bertie Ahern’s newly formed coalition Government in 1997. In this extended interview, Liz explains to Bertie Ahern how she came to be involved in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement. She details her experience of the multi-party talks, the roadblocks along the way, and the lasting impact the Omagh Bombing had on her.

The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition played a key role in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. In this extended interview, Monica McWilliams tells Bertie Ahern how the party came into existence, her own personal loss as a result of the troubles and the misogyny the women in the room felt.

There was one major party in Northern Ireland that did not participate in the multi-party talks that resulted in The Good Friday Agreement. The DUP, led at the time by Ian Paisley, refused to engage in the negotiations and campaigned for a 'No' vote in the referendum that followed. Peter Robinson, who took over as leader of the party and served as First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2008 until 2016. explains to Bertie why the party stayed out of the talks, why he regrets not engaging with Sinn Féin sooner and what aspects of the agreement he thinks have been a success.

Senator George Mitchell was the independent chair of the talks. This is the full conversation between Senator Mitchell and Bertie Ahern, in which they discuss how George came to be involved in the politics of Northern Ireland, the challenge of managing the big personalities in the room, and the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement.

In this final episode, Bertie Ahern looks at how the agreement has served the people of Ireland over the past quarter of a century, analyses the challenges that have been posed by Brexit, and asks what the future holds for the generations to come. For more information, full interviews, and bonus material head to Newstalk.com/GoodFridayAgreement.