72: Secret Negotiators: Northern Ireland Peace Process with Niall Ó Dochartaigh

In this deeply insightful podcast, Niall shares findings and
thoughts from his research and study of the conflict in Northern
Ireland, published in his recent book Deniable Contact:
Back-Channel Negotiation in Northern Ireland. Niall has spoken to
key actors in the peace process, and in particular has sought to
understand the conflict by seeking data from the back-channel
negotiators, those courageous people who put their lives at risk
and whose mediation work was done in secret and without
acknowledgement. Niall found a rich store of historical evidence,
including the private papers of key Irish Republican leaders, and
the papers of Brendan Duddy, the intermediary who acted as the
primary contact between the IRA and the British government on
several occasions.  

Simon shares his experience of meeting Brendan Duddy after
inviting him to a Faith in Leadership conference when working at
the Tavistock Clinic. Brendan attended Tavistock group relations
conferences and was able to utilise this learning in his
mediation work, identifying the essential issues with great
clarity. At great personal risk, Brendan worked to bridge the
unbridgeable divide and bring two sides together in secret
negotiations.  

Niall shares his thoughts on what learning can emerge from the
Northern Irish peace process and warns about what cannot be
generalised. This is a truly fascinating discussion.  

Get Niall's book here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deniable-Contact-Back-Channel-Negotiation-Northern/dp/0192894765


Short Bio
Niall Ó Dochartaigh is a Professor of Political
Science and Sociology and Director of the MA in Public Policy at
the University of Galway. He has published extensively on the
Northern Ireland conflict, on peace negotiations and on
territorial conflict. His publications include Civil Rights to
Armalites: Derry and the Birth of the Irish Troubles and the
co-edited books Political Violence in Context and Dynamics of
Political Change in Ireland: Making and Breaking a Divided
Island. His most recent book, Deniable Contact: Back-channel
Negotiation in Northern Ireland, published by Oxford University
Press in 2021, was awarded the Brian Farrell book prize of the
Political Studies Association of Ireland and was shortlisted for
the 27th Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize.