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# State Papers

Last year
2023
'Sex aids' being imported to Ireland in 1992 had officials abuzz with questions
McAleese was urged to meet loyalists of Holy Cross school dispute weeks before renewed violence
Wimbledon FC moving to Dublin never happened, but Tony Blair pushed for a Belfast move instead
9/11 sparked fears for nuclear or chemical attack preparedness in NI, State Papers reveal
Claim IRA members were in Colombia on holiday, not to train FARC, 'insulted US intelligence'
Tony Blair wanted to have 'a good time' during 1993 trip to Ireland, ideally involving U2
'Reproductive fascism': Read the letters calling on Mary Robinson to intervene in X Case
Many people, from Ireland and abroad, contacted the president about the controversial case in 1992.
The X Case centred on a 14-year-old girl who became pregnant after being raped
The letters to Robinson highlight how divisise the issue was in Ireland and abroad
'It is with disbelief and disgust that we heard about the young girl who has been forbidden to leave Ireland'
British officials 'perplexed' by exclusion of Garda McCabe's killers from GFA early release plans
Princess Diana referred to NI as part of the Republic, according to Irish ambassador's note
SF should move away from violent links to stop attracting 'head bangers', Adams agreed in 2001
Jackie Kennedy rang Irish Embassy to ensure Defence Forces would play role in JFK's funeral
Govt heard of British collusion in murder of man wrongly identified as IRA mole 'Stakeknife'
Ireland considered making 21 age of consent for gay people when decriminalising homosexuality
One 1993 document noted that moving from “criminalisation to equality might be too major a change at one go”.
The age of consent for heterosexual intercourse at the time was, and still is, 17 years old
21 was described as "probably the age most acceptable to those who do not want decriminalisation but recognise that there is no choice"
However, if 21 was chosen, "there would be an attempt to portray this country as backward", officials warned
All time
State Papers 1999: Mo Mowlam told Alec Reid she was 'f****d' if paramilitary killings continued
When Bertie met Paisley: Attacks on Presbyterian churches led to meeting between two leaders
Canary Wharf: Adams was glad he 'didn't know about bombing' as he couldn't report or prevent it
Young Boris Johnson argued for 'hard egg' approach to dealing with the IRA after Canary Wharf
Tony Blair told John Bruton 25 years ago that British people feared 'losing control' to the EU
FW de Klerk told Haughey that lifting fruit & veg ban would help 'mainly Black' South Africans
Tony O'Reilly offered newly widowed Robert Mugabe a stay in his estate and a lend of his jet
Irish officials warned 'Garvaghy Road won’t exist' if 1998 Orange Order march didn't go ahead
Report into Aidan McAnespie shooting found it ‘difficult to accept’ soldier’s claims
Ahern sought rubber bullet ban to put pressure on UK to restrict their use in Northern Ireland
The secret story of the Princess of Prussia's family jewels being stolen at gunpoint in Dalkey
Real IRA not ‘overly active’, Ahern told Blair two weeks before Omagh bomb
How Bill Clinton's Kerry statue owes its roots to a visit by Dick Spring to Martha's Vineyard
'Bugger off to Turkey and leave us alone': DFA dark comedy ahead of Gulf War revealed in State Papers
An elephant named Mimi gifted to President Hillery caused a row between Ireland and Tanzania
Decommissioning demands during first IRA ceasefire ‘were pointless’
Republicans in the Maze allowed IRA prisoners build an escape tunnel 'as occupational therapy'
Proposed African safari summit for NI politicians in '97 was labelled as 'rubbish' by John Bruton
John Hume 'literally cried on Martin McGuinness's shoulder' amid health concerns in 1994
Her mother was 'dying to go' to Ireland after Prince Charles in 1995 but the queen said 'not just yet'
A young Boris Johnson warned Irish officials about John Major's Peace Process plans in 1995
'The trouble is that Gaddafi is mad': State papers reveal extent of Libya's support for PIRA
British officials were 'apoplectic' after Gerry Adams was granted a US visa in 1994
British concerned Ireland could 'exaggerate' 1997 Famine apology to draw parallel with Bloody Sunday
Mandela wrote letter to Haughey soon after his release asking him to postpone a decision on easing sanctions
Inside 1989: What Irish business looked like 30 years ago
'Dear Charlie': State Papers reveal 'warm congratulations' sent after Haughey regained power in 1989