'We are in a better place than 20 years ago'

'We are in a better place than 20 years ago'

28 March 2018

MALACHI Curran is well known for his work as a former senior civil servant and Down councillor and the current host at the Anne Boal Inn in Killough which overlooks a stunningly picturesque bay in the heart of Lecale.

But what many people don’t know is that he was one of eight political leaders who played critically important roles which led to the signing of the historic Good Friday Agreement which celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend.

Mr Curran was the former leader of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and a politician who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton.

There aren’t many who can claim to be one of the Good Friday Agreement’s signatories and when the history of the peace accord is researched in years to come, the local publican’s name will be alongside those who played significant roles.

Lauded as the very foundation of devolved government in Northern Ireland, the Agreement marked the end of 30 years of the Troubles as political parties from both sides of a bitter sectarian divide displayed vision and courage, agreeing to share power and go into government with each other.

Two decades on, the document remains at the heart of discussions on the way forward to overcome the current political impasse at Stormont which has left Northern Ireland without devolved government for 13 months.

While history and the public are more likely to remember Clinton, David Trimble, John Hume, Gerry Adams, US Senator George Mitchell and former British and Irish premiers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern for the roles they played in reaching a political agreement to move forward, smaller parties also played a crucial part in negotiating the accord.

While at the helm of the smallest party participating in the negotiations of the historic document which concluded during the early morning with snow starting to fall, Mr Curran’s contribution in the discussions was no less significant.

He said it was vital a foundation was agreed to build political consensus and agreement and while a particularly modest man, he takes great pride and satisfaction in the role he played 20 years ago, agreeing a document which has become an intrinsic part of Northern Ireland’s history.

Reflecting on the two years it took to finally reach a deal, the Killough publican said it was vital a foundation was established to build for the future to move away from a bloody, violent past.

Mr Curran took over the Anne Boal a short time after his friend and former RUC officer, Sandy Stewart, was murdered while off-duty in the quaint village pub by the IRA in September 1981.

The incident left an indelible mark on Mr Curran who was fiercely proud that he was raised in the Down and Lecale area “where everyone got on well together and it didn’t matter who you were or what you were.” 

He says it is “incredible” that 20 years have passed since the Good Friday Agreement was signed and believes that despite the current political deadlock, “Northern Ireland is in a much better place than it was in 1988.”

Mr Curran continued: “Go back to the 1960s and fast forward through 30 years of the Troubles to today and see the progress that has been made and the change that has taken place, particularly in Belfast. There is much more integration of people than there ever was before and we only have to look at some of our local schools to see that.

“The Lecale area and indeed right along the local coastline have been exceptionally integrated for generations, places where people respected one another and were an example to Northern Ireland of what working together is all about. Yes, we have had our tragedies, including the murder of my good friend Sandy, who was engaged to Anne Boal, who started work with me in the Civil Service in the 1960s.

“What happened to Sandy in the pub that night brought home to me the horror of the situation we found ourselves in at the time. You heard about deaths but I suppose it did not mean anything as it did not affect you personally. For me, that all changed in September 1981.”

In 1965, over three decades before the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the NI Labour Party secured almost 30 per cent of the vote in the greater Belfast area during the Stormont election, with the majority of support coming from the nationalist community.