Page "Liam Cosgrave" Paragraph 15

Cosgrave's Government signed the Sunningdale Agreement that appeared to provide a solution to the Northern Irish problem in December, 1973.

A powersharing executive was set up and a Council of Ireland was to be established but it all came crashing down in May 1974 as a consequence of the Ulster Workers ' Council Strike.

In addition many Republican voters were angered by what they saw as Cosgrave's harsh line on the PIRA and the handling of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings which resulted in the perpetrators walking scot-free.