How the Good Friday Agreement Ended Decades of Violence in Northern Ireland

Our podcast The Negotiators launches its third season this week with a look at one of the most famous diplomatic deals ever: the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. 

Jonathan Powell was UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s chief negotiator for the Good Friday Talks. He was also Blair’s newly appointed chief of staff. In an interview on the podcast, he describes the painstaking negotiations that led to the deal—followed by years of additional diplomacy over its implementation. 

Powell now advises other groups and governments about resolving their conflicts, with his nonprofit Inter Mediate. He told his story to our senior producer, Laura Rosbrow-Telem. 

As with all peace talks, there are multiple perspectives to the Good Friday negotiations. We encourage listeners to seek out other sources. We’ve included some links in our show notes.

The Negotiators is a partnership between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy and is hosted by Jenn Williams.

https://www.amazon.com/Say-Nothing-Murder-Northern-Ireland/dp/0385521316

https://www.politico.eu/podcast/inside-the-room-the-good-friday-agreement-25-years-on/