Northern Ireland Quotes

You know, the pessimism which exists now in the Middle East existed in Northern Ireland, but we stayed at it. - George J. Mitchell

You can get on with your job. I'm going to get on with mine. And mine is to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland, that's what they expect from me and I'm not going to be deflected by interesting academic or media speculation or attempts to take the whole debate back. - Peter Hain

You can dismiss me as an optimist if you want... But I still remain in the view that the will of the people in Northern Ireland will be done and we will find a way through. - Tony Blair

Yet here we are for all the difficulties in Northern Ireland able to point back to real improvements in the security and the standards of living. - Tony Blair

Why should the rest of the people of Northern Ireland be held hostage by the IRA? Why should we not be allowed to proceed with the democratic process? - Peter Robinson

While we are conscious of the view that further confidence needs to be established, we also know that time alone is not enough: trust will not build itself in the absence of positive engagement by all parties. Everyone in Northern Ireland is aware of the dangers of a political vacuum. - Bertie Ahern

When you look at what I've done here, you see a consistent theme of reforms which is not driven by any dogma from across the water, but a radical agenda to make sure Northern Ireland's people enjoy equal opportunities, driven by the values of social justice. - Peter Hain

When the problems in Northern Ireland started, it was not a question of Protestantism or Catholicism, because the Catholic church was the only church at that time-it was a nationalist conflict. - Harri Holkeri

When the break between himself and ourselves took place it came to our surprise and we regretted that very much. He was the first MP from Northern Ireland to be even allowed to raise the Northern Ireland problem in the House of Commons. - John Hume

When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, 'Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't believe? - Quentin Crisp