Tag Archives: The Good Friday Agreement

AN INDEPENDENT Clare TD has pledged to seek clarity on the trade relationship between Ireland and Britain, after joining a prestigious political grouping on the Good Friday Agreement.  Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne was appointed this week to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.  She joins the panel of nine TDs and seven senators to tackle matters including reconciliation, legacy issues, North-South co-operation, and Brexit and outreach. The Independent TD will be working alongside three members of her former party, Sinn Féin, as well as another ex-member of that party, Peadar Tóbín of Aontú. Clare’s other Independent TD, Deputy Michael McNamara was a member of the committee from September 2020 to October 2022.  On her appointment to the committee, Deputy Wynne described the trade relationship between Ireland and Britain as “incredibly significant” to Clare’s farming and business communities. She vowed to work to get answers to their questions on the future of trade, and to work …

TRIBUTES have been paid by one of Clare’s Independent TDs on the passing, this week, of former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, David Trimble. Deputy Michael McNamara said it was fitting, on the eve of the Scariff Harbour Festival, which is now entering its third decade, to remember Mr Trimble’s contribution to peace on the island of Ireland. The festival’s main sponsor is Waterways Ireland, an organisation established under the Good Friday Agreement. The peace deal was finalised in 1998 by a team including Mr Trimble, and political leaders from all sides of the political divide. In 2000, Scariff became the southern regional headquarters of the cross-border navigational authority, following a decision of the North-South Ministerial Council. This prompted the idea of building links with the North of Ireland at cultural, political, community and sporting levels and led to the setting up, in 2003, of the Scariff Harbour Festival. This year’s event runs from Friday (July 29) to Sunday. “I …