Northern Irelands arch-enemies declare peace

Level 2 Intermediate

1 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences below using the following key words from the text.

watershed firebrand militant reconciliation transition

reluctance deadline cordial arbitrary emerge

1. A ____________ atmosphere is one which is formal but friendly.

2. If you show ____________ to do something, you do not want to do it.

3. A ____________ is someone who has strong feelings of anger and often expresses them.
4. To ____________ means to come out of something.

5. A ____________ person uses extreme and sometimes violent methods to achieve political or social change.

6. A ____________ is an event that causes an important change to take place.

7. If something is done in an ____________ way, it is not based on any particular plan or done for a particular

reason.

8. A ____________ is the process of changing from one situation, form or state to another.

9. ____________ is the process of establishing a new and friendly relationship between former enemies.

10. A ____________ is a specific date or time by which something has to be done.

2 Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.

1. When will the new Northern Ireland government begin to operate?

2. Who is the leader of Sinn Fin?

3. How long has the peace process been going on?

4. What does DUP stand for?

5. What is the name of the Northern Ireland parliament building?

6. Who is the leader of the DUP?

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Northern Irelands arch-enemies declare peace
Level 2 Intermediate
Northern Irelands arch-enemies
declare peace
Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
March 27, 2007
1 The leader of the Northern Ireland Democratic
Unionist Party, Ian Paisley, and the leader of the
republican Sinn Fin party, Gerry Adams, sat side
by side at a meeting for the first time yesterday.
At the end of the meeting they announced they
had reached an agreement to share power from
May 8 in a new Northern Ireland government.
The two men have been arch-enemies for many
years and the televised statement at the end of
their meeting in Stormont, the Northern Ireland
parliament building, will be seen by many people
as a watershed in the politics of the province.
2 The private meeting, which lasted just over
an hour, was the first time the two parties had
held direct talks. It enabled both sides to issue
statements promising political cooperation
and the start of a new and peaceful era. The
agreement between the unionist firebrand and
the leader of a militant republican movement that
once killed opponents was welcomed in London
and Dublin as an important stage in a peace
process that has lasted more than 10 years.
Emergency laws will be introduced in the British
parliament today to enable a smooth transition.
The new Northern Ireland government should
be operating before Tony Blair quits as UK prime
minister.
3 The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the DUPs reluctance to join a power-sharing
government before the deadline of midnight
yesterday. DUP politicians said they needed
more time to make sure that Sinn Fin would
implement its promise to support the Northern
Ireland police force. The postponement to May 8
will also help DUP members to adjust to the new
situation.
4 The atmosphere was described as cordial
and constructive. The Sinn Fin leader wore
an Easter lily badge, to commemorate those
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NEWS LESSONS / Northern Irelands arch-enemies declare peace / Intermediate
who died in the 1916 uprising. There was no
handshake.
5 In the past, Mr Paisley said, the British
government has set arbitrary deadlines but
now ... we as a party have agreed the timing,
setting up and working of the institutions. We
have agreed with Sinn Fin that this date will be
Tuesday May 8 ... After a long and difficult time
in the province I believe that the future holds
enormous opportunities ... We are doing this for
all the people of Northern Ireland. We must not
allow our justified loathing of the horrors and
tragedies of the past to stop us from creating a
better and more stable future. But when we look
to that future we must never forget those people
who have suffered during the dark period from
which we are, please God, emerging.
6 Mr Adams welcomed the DUPs commitment:
While it is disappointing that we have not
restored all the parliamentary institutions today,
I believe the agreement reached between
Sinn Fin and the DUP ... marks the beginning
of a new era of politics on this island ... The
relationships between the people of this island
have been damaged by centuries of discord,
conflict, hurt and tragedy ... We have all come
a very long way in the process of peace
making and national reconciliation. We are
very conscious of the many people who have
suffered. We owe it to them to build the best
future possible. It is a time for generosity, a time
to think of the common good and of the future of
all our people.
7 Both parties will go together to the British
government in the coming weeks to ask for more
money for Northern Ireland. Mr Paisley said
both parties would do some preparatory work
before May 8 to ensure everything was ready.
To underline the importance of the occasion, the
DUP leader left the meeting with a broad smile
and shouted to waiting journalists: Do you have
eyes in your head?
8 In London Tony Blair said: In a sense, everything
that weve done over the last 10 years has
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Northern Irelands arch-enemies declare peace
Level 2 Intermediate
been a preparation for this moment. This wont
stop republicans or nationalists being any less
republican or nationalist, or make unionists
any less unionist. But what it does mean is
that people can come together, respect each
others point of view, and share power, making
sure politics is only expressed by peaceful and
democratic means.

Guardian News & Media 2007

First published in The Guardian, 27/3/07

3 Comprehension check
Decide whether these statements are True or False according to the text.

1. Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley have held meetings many times before.

2. The peace process in Northern Ireland has been rather slow.

3. The atmosphere at the meeting was friendly.

4. The British government set the date of May 8.

5. Mr Paisley was angry when he left the meeting.

6. The meeting lasted just under an hour.

7. Mr Adams wore a badge in memory of those who have died since 1916.

8. The British parliament will introduce laws to ensure a smooth transition.

4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word

Find these words and expressions in the text.

1. A noun meaning your main enemy. (para 1)

2. A noun meaning a period of time that has a particular quality or character. (para 2)

3. An adjective that is the opposite of rough. (para 2)

4. A verb meaning to carry out. (para 3)

5. A verbal noun meaning a strong feeling of dislike. (para 5)

6. An adjective meaning not changing frequently. (para 5)

7. A noun meaning a promise to do something. (para 6)

8. A noun meaning disagreement between people. (para 6)

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Northern Irelands arch-enemies declare peace
Level 2 Intermediate

5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.

1. reach a. new laws

2. share b. talks
3. issue c. power
4. introduce d. an institution
5. set e. a statement
6. hold f. more time
7. need g. a deadline
8. set up h. an agreement

6 Vocabulary 3: Prefixes
Match the prefixes with their meanings.

1. arch- a. self
2. neo- b. former
3. auto- c. many
4. counter- d. chief; main
5. ex- e. between
6. inter- f. after
7. multi- g. new
8. post- h. against

7 Discussion
What are the main reasons for conflicts around the world? What solutions are there?
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