Beginning of 1975 Truce

First published in 
An Phoblacht/Republican News,
9 February 1995

The IRA’s 1974 Christmas ceasefire, called following talks earlier in December between republican leaders and a number of Protestant clergymen, led to one of the longest and most controversial Truces during the IRA’s campaign.

Although a cease-fire had been called over three days at Christmas during the previous years since the campaign began in 71, the length of the 1974 Christmas Truce - which was to last for eleven days - indicated a prolonged and permanent truce was possible, given the right conditions.

The republican demands included;

• a declaration of intent by the British to withdraw from Ireland;

• recognition of the right of the Irish people, acting as a single unit, to determine Ireland’s future;
• the withdrawal of British troops to barracks, pending complete withdrawal and an amnesty for all political prisoners.

Intensive negotiations took place between the leadership of the Republican Movement and intermediaries for the British government throughout the Christmas period and early January, so that the cease-fire could be extended indefinitely.

The ceasefire began on 22 December 1974 and ended on 2 January, but was reluctantly extended by the IRA for another fortnight to facilitate further discussions between republicans and British representatives. The IRA in a statement announcing the extension, carried in  Republican  News  on 4 January, 1975, lamented the attitude  of  both the British and Dublin governments  in  their response to the Christmas/New Year ceasefire.

“While recognising some minor developments as regards political prisoners and the role of the crown forces,”  the statement began,  “the response was not sufficient to warrant a permanent cease-fire.  A  satisfactory reply to the IRA peace proposals for a lasting peace was not received from the British government...  A  permanent peace will be established only when the causes of the war are courageously examined and eradicated.

“For worthwhile progress to be made and  to  provide the British government with a further opportunity to produce positive results towards a lasting solution,”  it continued,  “the Army Council of the IRA have ordered an extension of the Truce for 14  days”,  and warned,  “If  substantial progress is not recorded  by  January 16th, the situation will be examined with a uieto to resuming offensive military action.”

On a positive note, the statement ended by urging the British government to prove its sincerity by pursuing a reasonable and responsible policy, adding:

“Peace with justice is the universal demand of all our people and the responsibility for granting same rests with the British government.”

As little progress had been made in the negotiations by 16 January, the 25 day ceasefire came to an end the following day and the IRA resumed offensive action against the enemy. The negotiations with the British in early January were not helped by the situation in the 26 Counties, where republican prisoners in Portlaoise Prison had been forced to embark on a hunger strike for improved conditions following a riot in the prison at Christmas.

• 1975 IRA statement announced: “...hostilities against the crown forces will be suspended from 6pm Monday, February 10th...”

Before the eventual long-term ceasefire was agreed, grave reservations were being expressed about a prolonged Truce by republicans, many of whom were deeply sceptical of the real intentions of the British government - were they about to withdraw from Ireland or use the ceasefire to strengthen their hold in the North? The fears of republicans were summed up by one member, quoted in  the  Irish Times  in mid-January 1975, just after the end of the long Christmas/New Year ceasefire, who asked: “Suppose we get the release of all detainees, an amnesty and a withdrawal of troops to barracks, we are still back where we started in 1969.”

Progress between republican leaders and British officials, though slow, was made during the three weeks following the ending of the cease-fire in mid­ January, and at the beginning of the second week in February 1975, the IRA  in  a statement announced that, “...hostilities against the crown forces will be suspended from 6pm Monday, February 10th...”

The indefinite ceasefire following secret negotiations between British government representatives, who had been authorised to negotiate with republican leaders by the then British direct ruler in the North, Merlyn Rees. During the negotiations the republican leaders had been given assurances by Harold Wilson’s Labour government that: “HMG wished to devise structures of disengagement from Ireland.”

• Harold Wilson

• British direct ruler in the North, Merlyn Rees

In addition,  12  points were agreed to by the British. These included, the release of prisoners; ending of internment; the effective withdrawal of British troops to barracks; an end to the arrest and screening of civilians; setting up of ‘incident centres’ to monitor the Truce; a promise on a final ceasefire agreement to be drawn up by the British and further talks to take place between republican leaders and British representatives.

Despite all the promises and reassurances given by the British during the seven weeks since the original ceasefire was called the previous December, very few favourable conditions were in place on the ground that would facilitate a prolonged Truce and lead to a permanent end to the conflict.

In America, the Republican administration of Gerald Ford was deeply hostile towards Irish republicans; European officials were indifferent to the conflict in Ireland; the Fine Gael/Labour coalition government, led by Liam Cosgrave, was almost fanatical in its hatred of republicans and its one desire was to see the Republican Movement crushed for all  time;  the arrest of republicans, including leaders involved in the peace process, continued in the  26  Counties; the track record of the Labour government in England which had been unwilling to support the Power­ Sharing Executive in the Six Counties, which collapsed the previous summer in the face of loyalist opposition, would be unable to deliver on the promises being made to republicans; the hostility of the Conservative Party in Britain who would be certain to oppose any new agreement about Ireland; the upsurge in the murders of nationalists by loyalist murder gangs; and the state of Sinn Féin as a political party, banned in the North  until  the previous year, and virtually non-existent as a political force on the ground in the  26  Counties.

Given such unfavourable conditions which prevailed at the time that the Truce was called in mid-February 1975, it’s surprising that the ceasefire got off the ground and incredible that  it  managed to last for over seven months.

From a position of strength the IRA entered into what was supposed to be a bilateral Truce with the British, but the whole experience was to almost wreck the Republican Movement and nearly led to the defeat of the IRA.

The IRA/British Truce of 1975, began on 10 February, 1975, 50 years ago this month.