The hunger strikes and the Anglo-Irish Agreement: the 1981 hunger strikes and the rise of Sinn Fein, and the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 and unionist opposition to it.

What this dot point is asking

You need to explain the 1981 hunger strikes and their consequences, the rise of Sinn Fein into electoral politics, the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985, and the unionist opposition to it. CCEA examiners reward precise detail on Bobby Sands and the move towards "the ballot box and the Armalite", an understanding of what the 1985 agreement actually gave the Republic, and a judgement that distinguishes the most important consequences and reasons.

The 1981 hunger strikes

The hunger strikes were a turning point in the conflict, not because they won their immediate demand, but because of their political effect on the nationalist community.

The rise of Sinn Fein

The election of Bobby Sands and the wave of nationalist sympathy showed the republican movement the power of electoral politics. The movement adopted a twin strategy summed up as "the ballot box and the Armalite": contesting elections through Sinn Fein while continuing the IRA's armed campaign. Sinn Fein began to win significant votes, challenging the moderate SDLP for nationalist support. Its growth alarmed both the British and Irish governments, who feared that the constitutional, peaceful nationalism of the SDLP might be eclipsed. This fear was a major spur to a new initiative.

The Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985

Unionist opposition: "Ulster Says No"

Unionists were outraged. They had not been consulted and saw the Irish government's new role as outside interference in their part of the United Kingdom, a step they feared led towards a united Ireland. Under the slogan "Ulster Says No", unionist leaders organised mass rallies, including a huge gathering at Belfast City Hall, unionist MPs resigned their seats to force by-elections, and there was widespread protest. Yet, unlike Sunningdale, the agreement was a deal between two sovereign governments and survived the unionist campaign, because there was no power-sharing Executive for a strike to bring down. Its survival showed that the British and Irish governments could now act together over the heads of local opposition.

Examples in context

Model consequence paragraph. "The most important consequence of the 1981 hunger strikes was the entry of Sinn Fein into electoral politics. The strikes failed to restore political status, and ten prisoners including Bobby Sands died, but Sands's election as an MP revealed the depth of nationalist sympathy. The republican movement responded with the strategy of the ballot box and the Armalite, building Sinn Fein into a serious electoral force that challenged the SDLP. This reshaped nationalism and alarmed London and Dublin, helping to push them towards the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985." This scores highly because it ranks a long-term consequence and links it to later events with precise evidence.

Try this

Q1. Who was Bobby Sands and what happened to him? [2 marks]

• Cue. A republican hunger striker elected an MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, who died on 5 May 1981 after 66 days.

Q2. What did the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 give the Republic? [2 marks]

• Cue. A formal consultative role in Northern Ireland's affairs through an intergovernmental conference, not control.

Q3. Why did the Anglo-Irish Agreement survive unionist protest when Sunningdale had not? [3 marks]

• Cue. It was a deal between two sovereign governments with no power-sharing Executive that a strike could bring down.