The Sunningdale Agreement

In 1973, the Sunningdale Agreement was proposed as a means to restore self-government to Northern Ireland, which had been under direct rule from London since 1972. The agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing executive body and a cross-border Council of Ireland.

Power-Sharing Executive

The power-sharing executive was intended to be a coalition of the main political parties in Northern Ireland. It was hoped that this would help to ease the sectarian tensions that had led to the suspension of the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Council of Ireland

The Council of Ireland was to be a body that would allow for cooperation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This was a controversial proposal, as many unionists saw it as a step towards a united Ireland.

Despite the hopes of its proponents, the Sunningdale Agreement was not successful. The power-sharing executive collapsed in 1974 due to a strike by the Ulster Workers' Council.