The Downing Street Declaration (DSD) was a joint declaration issued on 15 December 1993 by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, and the Taoiseach
Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, Albert Reynolds at the British Prime Minister's office in 10 Downing Street. The declaration affirmed both the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination, and that Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland would be transferred to the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom only if a majority of its population was in favour of such a move. It also included, as part of the prospective of the so-called "Irish dimension", the principle of consent that the people of the island of Ireland, had the exclusive right to solve the issues between North and South by mutual consent.[1][2] The latter statement, which later would become one of the points of the Good Friday Agreement,[3] was key to produce a positive change of attitude by the republicans towards a negotiated settlement. The joint declaration also pledged the governments to seek a peaceful constitutional settlement, and promised that parties linked with paramilitaries (such as Sinn Féin) could take part in the talks, so long as they abandoned violence.[4] The declaration, after a meeting between Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and American congressman Bruce Morrison, which was followed by a joint statement issued by Adams and John Hume, was considered sufficient by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army to announce a ceasefire on 31 August 1994[5] which was then followed on 13 October by an announcement of a ceasefire from the Combined Loyalist Military Command.[6] See also[edit]

Principle of consent

Notes[edit]

^ Peatling, Gary (2004). The failure of the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland peace process. Irish Academic Press, p. 58; ISBN 0-7165-3336-7 ^ Cox, Michael, Guelke, Adrian and Stephen, Fiona (2006). A farewell to arms?: beyond the Good Friday Agreement. Manchester University Press, p. 486; ISBN 0-7190-7115-1 ^ Clark, Desmond and Jones, Charles (1999). The rights of nations: nations and nationalism in a changing world. Palgrave Macmillan, p. 168; ISBN 0-312-22595-4 ^ Cox & Guelke, pp. 487-88 ^ Rowan, Brian (1995). Behind the lines: the story of the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires . Blackstaff Press, Chapter 8. ISBN 0-85640-564-7 ^ CAIN- Chronology of the Conflict 1994, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 4 March 2016.

External links[edit]

Photos & Recordings of the Inaugural Meeting of the College Historical Society held on the Downing Street Declaration, reuniting Sir John Major, Sir Roderic Lyne and Martin Mansergh
Martin Mansergh in November 2007. Downing Street Declaration. Department of Foreign Affairs. Ireland. House of Commons Hansard Debates for December 15, 1993. The Prime Minister speaks to the House of Commons about the Downing Street/Joint Declaration. Research guide from University of Ulster on The Troubles, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 4 March 2016.

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The Troubles

History of Northern Ireland History of Ireland Irish nationalism Irish republicanism Ulster unionism Ulster loyalism Books about the Troubles

Participants

Republican paramilitaries

Provisional IRA (timeline) Official IRA Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army (timeline) Continuity IRA (timeline) Real IRA (timeline) IPLO (timeline)

Security forces

United Kingdom British Army Royal Air Force Royal Navy Northern Ireland Ulster Defence Regiment/Royal Irish Regiment Royal Ulster Constabulary/Ulster Special
Special Constabulary Republic of Ireland Garda Síochána Irish Army

Loyalist paramilitaries

Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association (timeline) Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force (timeline) Loyalist Volunteer Force Red Hand Commando Ulster Resistance Linked to: Some RUC and British Army
British Army members

Political parties

Unionist

Ulster Unionist Party Democratic Unionist Party Progressive Unionist Party UK Unionist Party Traditional Unionist Voice Ulster Vanguard Ulster Democratic Party

Nationalist

Social Democratic & Labour Party Sinn Féin Irish Republican Socialist Party Workers' Party of Ireland Republican Sinn Féin Irish Independence Party

Other

Alliance Party

Chronology

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland civil rights movement begins (1967) August riots and beginning of Operation Banner
Operation Banner (1969) Falls Curfew
Falls Curfew (1970) Internment without trial begins with Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius (1971) Irish government enacts broadcasting restrictions (1971) Bloody Sunday by British Army
British Army (1972) Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland government dissolved; direct rule from London begins (1972) Bloody Friday by IRA (1972) Operation Motorman
Operation Motorman ends no-go areas (1972) Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement establishes power-sharing Assembly (1973) Ulster Workers' Council strike brings down Agreement and power-sharing (1974) Dublin and Monaghan bombings
Dublin and Monaghan bombings by UVF (1974) Birmingham pub bombings
Birmingham pub bombings by IRA (1974) Kingsmill massacre
Kingsmill massacre by IRA (1976) Warrenpoint ambush
Warrenpoint ambush by IRA (1979) 1981 Irish hunger strike; hunger striker Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands elected MP; Sinn Féin begins to move towards electoral politics (1981) Droppin Well bombing
Droppin Well bombing by INLA (1982) Brighton hotel bombing
Brighton hotel bombing by IRA (1984)

Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) Newry mortar attack by IRA (1985) Loughgall ambush
Loughgall ambush by British Army
British Army (1987) Remembrance Day bombing
Remembrance Day bombing by IRA (1987) Peace Process begins (1988) Operation Flavius, Milltown Cemetery attack
Milltown Cemetery attack and Corporals killings (1988) British government introduces broadcasting restrictions (1988) Bishopsgate bombing (1993) Downing Street Declaration (1993) Shankill bombing and Greysteel massacre
Greysteel massacre (1993) Loughinisland massacre
Loughinisland massacre by UVF (1994) First IRA and loyalist ceasefires (1994) Docklands and Manchester bombings by IRA (1996) Drumcree riots (1997) Second IRA ceasefire (1997) Good Friday Agreement
Good Friday Agreement (1998) signals the end of the Troubles Omagh bombing
Omagh bombing by the Real IRA (1998)

Other issues and topics

Segregation Peace lines/Interface areas Parades Flags Collusion The Disappeared Shoot-to-kill policy Diplock courts Special
Special Category Status Five techniques Punishment shootings Murals The Troubles
The Troubles in popular culture List of books about the Troubles

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Steps in the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland peace process

Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement (1973) Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975) Atkins Talks (Constitutional Conference) (1980) Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly (1982) ("rolling devolution") Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) Brooke/Mayhew inter-party talks (1991-1992) Downing Street Declaration (1993) Establishment of the IICD (1997) Good Friday Agreement
Good Friday Agreement (1998) Amendment of Articles 2 and 3 (1999) Establishment of the Independent Monitoring Commission (2003) IRA Ceasefire
Ceasefire & Decommissioning (2005) St Andrews Agreement
St Andrews Agreement (2006) Hillsborough Castle Agreement
Hillsborough Castle Agreement (2010) Stormont House Agreement (2014)

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John Major

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1990–1997) Leader of the Conservative Party (1990–1997) Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer (1989–1990) Foreign Secretary (1989) MP for Huntingdon (1979–2001)

Government

First ministry (1990–1992) Second ministry (1992–1997) Gulf War Citizen's Charter Cones Hotline Black Wednesday Maastricht Rebels Newbury by-election Downing Street Declaration Child Support Agency Vote of confidence Back to Basics Privatisation of British Rail Cash for Questions Wirral South by-election Resignation Honours

Politics

Conservatism Shadow Cabinet

General elections

1992 1997

Party elections

1990 1995

Books

More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket's Early Years (2007)

Family

Norma Major
Norma Major (wife) Terry Major-Ball (brother) Tom Major-Ball (father)