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#State Papers

# state-papers - All time

The Welsh were worried that Ireland would become home to nuclear weapons

# Nuke The Wales

# Nuke The Wales

The Welsh were worried that Ireland would become home to nuclear weapons

Dec 30th 2016, 7:45 AM 18,883 Views 26 Comments

It didn’t happen in the end.

Government investigated whether Josef Mengele spent time in Ireland after World War II

# 1986 State Papers

# 1986 State Papers

Government investigated whether Josef Mengele spent time in Ireland after World War II

Dec 30th 2016, 7:15 AM 17,741 Views 11 Comments

The Nazi war criminal was suspected to have spent six weeks in Ireland under an assumed name

'A punishment from God's own hand' - the Irish got Biblical in their objections to 1985's contraception law

# Divine Argument

# Divine Argument

'A punishment from God's own hand' - the Irish got Biblical in their objections to 1985's contraception law

Dec 30th 2016, 6:45 AM 15,422 Views 101 Comments

The 1985 Family Planning Act saw contraceptives made legal for over-18s without a prescription from selected outlets for the first time.

Government considered using 'AIDS argument' in David Norris gay rights case

# Norris V Ireland

# Norris V Ireland

Government considered using 'AIDS argument' in David Norris gay rights case

Dec 30th 2016, 6:45 AM 21,627 Views 49 Comments

In battling David Norris’ claims that Irish homosexuality laws were in breach of his human rights, the government was considering all kinds of defences.

Enda fan wrote to 1986 Taoiseach to say people in the west happy with Kenny's latest appointment

# Well Pleased

Enda fan wrote to 1986 Taoiseach to say people in the west happy with Kenny's latest appointment

Jan 3rd 2016, 10:33 AM 522 Views 1 Comment

The letter was sent from Drimnagh in Dublin.

The IRA bombing of two ships led to an Irish/British dispute over territorial waters

# Sea War

The IRA bombing of two ships led to an Irish/British dispute over territorial waters

Jan 3rd 2016, 6:15 AM 23,808 Views 44 Comments

The border in Lough Foyle caused some serious debate.

How a notorious Nazi war criminal was banned from his picturesque Waterford hideaway

# Dark Past

How a notorious Nazi war criminal was banned from his picturesque Waterford hideaway

Jan 2nd 2016, 5:00 PM 43,654 Views 46 Comments

Rumours about looted art in the Kilmacthomas estate persisted for years.

The government was very concerned with bike tyres in 1985

# You Shall Not Pass

# You Shall Not Pass

The government was very concerned with bike tyres in 1985

Jan 2nd 2016, 8:30 AM 20,446 Views 16 Comments

Important business…

Margaret Thatcher wanted to crush Loyalist strikers just like she did the miners

# Belfast Bunfight

# Belfast Bunfight

Margaret Thatcher wanted to crush Loyalist strikers just like she did the miners

Jan 2nd 2016, 7:15 AM 14,257 Views 24 Comments

The UK Prime Minister was determined not to let them take down the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Ireland was terrified that exercise could be the end of us all in the early 1980s...

# Damned Aerobics

# Damned Aerobics

Ireland was terrified that exercise could be the end of us all in the early 1980s...

Jan 1st 2016, 10:00 PM 53,874 Views 28 Comments

Aerobics in particular. And not just because of the 80s legwarmers.

Does St Patrick deserve his own flag? An enterprising Kerryman thought he did

# Patron Saint

Does St Patrick deserve his own flag? An enterprising Kerryman thought he did

Jan 1st 2016, 7:30 PM 12,796 Views 55 Comments

The government wouldn’t support the idea.

Glenroe, Dallas and Today Tonight - The top 10 programmes Ireland was watching in 1985

# State Papers

Glenroe, Dallas and Today Tonight - The top 10 programmes Ireland was watching in 1985

Jan 1st 2016, 6:00 PM 1,445 Views 0 Comments

Some things never change with The Late Late Show coming out on top.

An English car enthusiast made a play for Eamon de Valera's Rolls Royce in 1985

# Dev's Car

An English car enthusiast made a play for Eamon de Valera's Rolls Royce in 1985

Jan 1st 2016, 3:00 PM 20,364 Views 31 Comments

Ten years after his death Ireland still wasn’t at all sure what was to be done with Dev’s classic car.

Dublin planning officer: More pubs will reduce drink driving as people wouldn't have as far to travel

# 1985

Dublin planning officer: More pubs will reduce drink driving as people wouldn't have as far to travel

Jan 1st 2016, 3:00 PM 897 Views 0 Comments

The planning officer for Dublin city and country wanted the one mile restriction between pubs abolished in favour of half mile limits.

The great Donegal postal voting scam of 1985

# Donegal Dodginess

# Donegal Dodginess

The great Donegal postal voting scam of 1985

Jan 1st 2016, 7:30 AM 18,177 Views 20 Comments

An enormous scam to rig postal voting in the north-western county took place. Fortunately, the scammers weren’t all that subtle…

This letter is most blatant Big Tobacco threat to a Taoiseach you're likely to see

# No Qualms

This letter is most blatant Big Tobacco threat to a Taoiseach you're likely to see

Jan 1st 2016, 7:00 AM 16,457 Views 38 Comments

Carroll Industries threatened to stop investing in businesses if new laws come in

The man who let the Taoiseach know exactly what he thought about Jack the Ripper being Irish

# Not Impressed

# Not Impressed

The man who let the Taoiseach know exactly what he thought about Jack the Ripper being Irish

Jan 1st 2016, 6:10 AM 15,610 Views 13 Comments

Talk about tarring us all with the same brush.

That time an Irish minister got the UK's Northern Secretary so hammered he had to be walked around a park

# That's How We Roll

# That's How We Roll

That time an Irish minister got the UK's Northern Secretary so hammered he had to be walked around a park

Dec 31st 2015, 9:30 PM 38,623 Views 11 Comments

Douglas Hurd struggled to keep up with our own Peter Barry it seems.

Garret FitzGerald really, really did not like Sinn Féin in 1985

# Mansion House

# Mansion House

Garret FitzGerald really, really did not like Sinn Féin in 1985

Dec 31st 2015, 8:15 PM 15,716 Views 115 Comments

The then Taoiseach even reached out to his nemesis Charles Haughey in an attempt to stymie Gerry Adams’ party.

Irish prisons ran out of overtime cash in 1984 - so they started letting prisoners go early

# Off You Go So

# Off You Go So

Irish prisons ran out of overtime cash in 1984 - so they started letting prisoners go early

Dec 31st 2015, 6:00 PM 10,012 Views 8 Comments

The process was known as ‘shedding’.

State Papers 1985: Garret Fitzgerald's government wasn't too keen on helping Stardust victims

# Terror Blaze

State Papers 1985: Garret Fitzgerald's government wasn't too keen on helping Stardust victims

Dec 31st 2015, 8:30 AM 15,216 Views 28 Comments

An official wanted a redress scheme kept well away from the Taoiseach’s department.

30 years ago, Dublin was a crime-riddled joyrider's paradise

# State Papers

30 years ago, Dublin was a crime-riddled joyrider's paradise

Dec 31st 2015, 7:15 AM 22,406 Views 36 Comments

The damage being done with stolen cars in particular had the population terrified.

Governor warned of potential 'bloodbath' among IRA prisoners if rubber bullets were removed

# RIOT CONTROL

Governor warned of potential 'bloodbath' among IRA prisoners if rubber bullets were removed

Dec 31st 2015, 6:10 AM 12,636 Views 1 Comment

The government wanted to stop using them as part of efforts to rid them from Northern Ireland.

'Say the daily rosary': This is the kind of fan mail you get when you're Taoiseach

# 1985 State Papers

# 1985 State Papers

'Say the daily rosary': This is the kind of fan mail you get when you're Taoiseach

Dec 30th 2015, 10:00 PM 14,314 Views 11 Comments

Garret Fitzgerald got quite a bit when he signed the Anglo-Irish agreement.

Irish people really didn't like paying for their TV licence 30 years ago

# State Papers

Irish people really didn't like paying for their TV licence 30 years ago

Dec 30th 2015, 6:30 PM 15,313 Views 65 Comments

The government needed to make savings in 1985, and RTE was very much in the firing line.

'It wasn't long after the hunger strikes... mayhem on the streets and we realised that something had to be done.'

# Anglo-Irish Agreement

# Anglo-Irish Agreement

'It wasn't long after the hunger strikes... mayhem on the streets and we realised that something had to be done.'

Dec 30th 2015, 12:31 PM 11,167 Views 68 Comments

Former Tánaiste Dick Spring talks about the tensions and troubles of 1985.

The government wanted to launch a phone-tapping bill in 1985...

# Someone's Listening

# Someone's Listening

The government wanted to launch a phone-tapping bill in 1985...

Dec 30th 2015, 11:30 AM 8,259 Views 23 Comments

And they were very worried about the legal ramifications of it.

David Cameron adviser apologises over 'offensive' 1985 memo about black rioters

# Oliver Letwin

# Oliver Letwin

David Cameron adviser apologises over 'offensive' 1985 memo about black rioters

Dec 30th 2015, 10:08 AM 13,744 Views 49 Comments

The memo was sent to the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher back in 1985.

An Archbishop, a Taoiseach and an angry face-off over IRA violence and 'genocide'

# A Just War?

An Archbishop, a Taoiseach and an angry face-off over IRA violence and 'genocide'

Dec 30th 2015, 9:00 AM 23,650 Views 138 Comments

Garret Fitzgerald said the New York meeting was the most tense he has as Taoiseach outside Ireland.

30 years ago Dunnes Stores was involved in ANOTHER workers' dispute... one that shook the world

# Apartheid

30 years ago Dunnes Stores was involved in ANOTHER workers' dispute... one that shook the world

Dec 30th 2015, 7:30 AM 15,020 Views 13 Comments

The protest of Dunnes workers against South Africa’s apartheid regime was one of the most compelling stories of 1985.

When Maggie dropped some epic shade on Garret FitzGerald...

# Ouch

When Maggie dropped some epic shade on Garret FitzGerald...

Dec 30th 2015, 6:30 AM 9,655 Views 29 Comments

Mrs Thatcher was not a fan of Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

Pornography being shown in pubs had the government in a fluster 30 years ago

# Nudey Films

Pornography being shown in pubs had the government in a fluster 30 years ago

Dec 30th 2015, 6:05 AM 25,603 Views 25 Comments

The government of the time was not one bit happy at the thought of sex shops coming to these shores either.

Womanhood on trial: The letters received by the Taoiseach during the Kerry Babies saga

# Kerry Babies

Womanhood on trial: The letters received by the Taoiseach during the Kerry Babies saga

Dec 30th 2015, 6:05 AM 23,975 Views 30 Comments

Documents released under the 30-year rule show the public interest in the tragedies.

Mrs Brown, tourists, and the Luas: The week in numbers

# Prime Numbers

# Prime Numbers

Mrs Brown, tourists, and the Luas: The week in numbers

Jan 3rd 2015, 7:30 PM 10,003 Views 4 Comments

Plus: What was the lowest temperature in Ireland this week?

What did Ronald Reagan eat on his visit to Ireland?

# State Papers

What did Ronald Reagan eat on his visit to Ireland?

Jan 3rd 2015, 3:00 PM 19,564 Views 24 Comments

Not too much butter, anyway.

Government Buildings got a lick of paint when Ronald Reagan came to visit

# 1984

Government Buildings got a lick of paint when Ronald Reagan came to visit

Jan 3rd 2015, 11:30 AM 7,597 Views 12 Comments

Including varnishing, carpets, ceiling tiles and “general cleaning up”.

Iran wanted films of the Irish struggle... we wanted to send them nature docs

# State Papers

Iran wanted films of the Irish struggle... we wanted to send them nature docs

Jan 3rd 2015, 10:00 AM 16,031 Views 27 Comments

A rep from Iranian TV wanted a video from Ireland for broadcasting.

The day an Irish fishing boat was sunk by a British submarine

# Cold War

The day an Irish fishing boat was sunk by a British submarine

Jan 1st 2015, 7:30 PM 38,985 Views 51 Comments

Newly released documents show the Government had ‘no intention’ to get involved in the crew’s case against the UK.

Back in 1984 the Government was worried about banning smoking in classrooms

# State Papers

Back in 1984 the Government was worried about banning smoking in classrooms

Jan 1st 2015, 7:15 PM 30,799 Views 48 Comments

In some schools smoking in the classroom was “an accepted practice”.

Government was worried about hiking up tax on booze in 1984 because we were so broke...

# 1984 State Papers

# 1984 State Papers

Government was worried about hiking up tax on booze in 1984 because we were so broke...

Jan 1st 2015, 10:15 AM 11,301 Views 17 Comments

… but they did it anyway.

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