Northern Ireland

Elaine Byrne: The EU’s role in the Good Friday Agreement has been written out of history

Membership of the EU enabled the thawing of relations between Ireland and Britain, yet the bloc’s role in the quest for peace on this island has been overlooked

(l-r) Bertie Ahern, George Mitchell and Tony Blair, respectively the then Taoiseach, US senator and British PM after they signed the Good Friday Agreement. Picture: Getty

Over the next month, there will be many opportunities to mark the role of the United States in getting the Good Friday Agreement across the line as the 25th anniversary approaches. But what about the European Union’s role? Why has it been neglected?

The significance of the Irish-American relationship in Irish affairs is underlined by the realpolitik taking place during the St Patrick’s Day festivities in Washington. The leader of the DUP spoke to the ...