Brian Rowan’s receipt dated 23/07/05
The old receipt is showing its age. Lines and wrinkles through which I struggle to see the detail of two pots of tea at 80 pence each, a scone at 95 pence and a slice of Veda bread at 89 pence. The total cost of the conversation was £3.44. We were served by Deirdre in the cafe at a supermarket in west Belfast, and that crumpled receipt now serves as a reference point - as a kind of aide-memoire. It takes me back twenty years to a Saturday morning - July 23rd 2005. I was in one of those meetings of words and silences; sitting with Richard McAuley a senior aide to then Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.
The peace process was waiting on the IRA response to a speech that Adams had made some months earlier in April, when he spoke directly to the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann and asked: “Can you take courageous initiatives which will achieve your aims by purely political and democratic activity?” As we waited for that response, the Canadian General John de Chastelain was in Ireland wondering when he would next be needed; waiting for the IRA to move to put more of its arms beyond use.
When I left Richard McAuley on that Saturday in July 2005, I stepped into the car park at the supermarket and scribbled some words onto a post it; words I used in a BBC Radio Ulster news broadcast that lunchtime. This is what I said:
“My understanding is that crucial discussions are continuing both inside the IRA and between Sinn Féin and the governments. There was speculation that the IRA statement could come before the marching season. It didn’t. Now, there are new suggestions of a significant development within days. Could that mean that we get that statement from the IRA? Yes we could - but there is no certainty at this stage. General de Chastelain has been in Ireland for a number of days now, and it’s my understanding that he will stay for a while longer. So, in summary, there are new expectations in some circles that the IRA will speak soon.”
Four days later, Gerry Adams was in Hillsborough Castle with Secretary of State Peter Hain and with the Northern Ireland Office Political Director Jonathan Phillips also present. Sinn Féin was insisting on the release of the IRA prisoner Sean Kelly, whose licence had been suspended in June, and the British wanted to see the detail of the IRA statement. Adams had that statement, and Phillips copied it in his hand writing before sharing it with Downing Street.
Hours later, the solicitor Kevin Winters called me with the news that Kelly was out; that he had been granted temporary release pending an application to the Sentence Review Commission to have his licence restored.
It was the signal that the IRA statement was now imminent. That happened the next day - July 28th 2005, but not in the usual controlled and choreographed way of these things. As I was on my way to meet the IRA spokesman ‘P O’Neill’, the story started to break ahead of its scheduled embargo. I saw ‘Tomas’ (not his real name) hurrying in a street in the Falls area of the city and, minutes later inside a house, he gave me a two-page statement and a DVD on which the Belfast republican Séanna Walsh read the words of the IRA.
Outside, as I spoke into the BBC news output, a summer rain was falling, landing on my jotter and on the green ink heading of the IRA statement. That organisation turned a page that day, away from the headlines of the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Robert McCartney to which its members had been linked.
It was not the first time I had been to that house in the Falls. Months earlier, I had collected another statement there - five pages long, in which the IRA had threatened to shoot those who were directly involved in the McCartney killing.
By July 2005, it was using different words, but these two decades later, the rains have not yet washed away the detail and the questions from those conflict years; not for the IRA - and not for the many other sides in those long wars.
July 2025: 20 years later, another meeting with Richard McAuley and a new receipt, on which I asked him to share some thoughts. He writes on stability, on how the peace process has been advanced and on the growing potential for a new Ireland.
Text transcript
July 2025 -
28 July 2005 was a huge historic and challenging initiative which has delivered decades of stability, advanced the peace process and enhanced the growing potential for a new Ireland.
Richard McAuley
Solicitor Kevin Winters represented Sean Kelly in his application to the Sentence Review Commission. In a contribution to this archive project, he says he was alive to the political sensitivities of the case, but totally oblivious to the background negotiations involving Gerry Adams and the British Government. On the eve of the IRA statement, Kelly was granted temporary release, pending the Commission’s decision.
I am a supporter of the current peace process. Since my release from prison in 2000 I and other ex-prisoners, civic community and political representatives have worked positively within the North Belfast community particularly around interface areas.
From Sean Kelly’s statement to the Sentence Review Commission - part of a process to have his licence restored.
Kevin Winters reflects on 2005.
Text transcript
I represented Mr Sean Kelly circa July 2005 when an issue arose in relation to the terms of his release from custody as part of wider political engagement.
I can say I was very much alive to the wider political and other sensitivities underpinning decision making around Mr Kelly's release terms.
However I was oblivious to the specific details of highly critical last minute meetings between Sinn Fein and the British Govt reps at that time.
I recall that Mr Kelly was granted temporary release pending a substantive application to be released on licence by the Sentence Review Commission. They then confirmed his licence. On reflection this was very much a seminal moment on the road to the IRA's confirmation that their campaign was over.
Kevin R Winters July 2025.
On the eve of the IRA statement, Gerry Adams was in negotiations with the British. They wanted to see the text. Adams wouldn’t give them the actual statement, and the NIO Political Director Sir Jonathan Phillips had to copy it in his handwriting before sending it on a secure fax to Downing Street to be signed off by the Prime Minister. Sir Jonathan has given us permission to reproduce his note.
Text transcript
Oglaigh na h-Eireann
The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign. This will take effect from 4.00 p.m. this afternoon.
All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms.
All Volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means. Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever.
The IRA leadership has also authorised our representative to engage with the IICD to complete the process to verifiably put its arms beyond use in a way which will further enhance public confidence and to conclude this as quickly as possible. We have invited two independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic churches, to testify to this.
The Army Council took these decisions following an unprecedented internal discussion and consultation process with IRA units and Volunteers.
We appreciate the honest and forthright way in which the consultation process was carried out and the depth and content of the submissions. We are proud of the comradely way in which this truly historic discussion was conducted.
The outcome of our consultations show very strong support among IRA Volunteers for the Sinn Fein peace strategy. There is also widespread concern about the failure of the two governments and the unionists to fully engage in the peace process. This has created real difficulties. The overwhelming majority of people in Ireland fully support this process. They and friends of Irish unity throughout the world want to see the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
Notwithstanding these difficulties our decisions have been taken to advance our republican and democratic objectives, including our goal of a united Ireland. We believe there is now an alternative way to achieve this and to end British rule in our country.
It is the responsibility of all Volunteers to show leadership, determination and courage. We are very mindful of the sacrifices of our patriot dead, those who went to jail, Volunteers, their families and the wider republican base. We reiterate our view that the armed struggle was entirely legitimate.
We are conscious that many people suffered in the conflict. There is a compelling imperative on all sides to build a just and lasting peace.
The issue of the defence of nationalist and republican communities has been raised with us. There is a responsibility on society to ensure that there is no re-occurance of the pogroms of 1969 and the early 1970s. There is also a universal responsibility to tackle sectarianism in all its forms.
The IRA is fully committed to the goals of Irish unity and independence and to building the republic outlined in the 1916 Proclamation.
We call for maximum unity and effort by Irish republicans everywhere. We are confident that by working together Irish republicans can achieve our objectives. Every Volunteer is aware of the import of the decisions we have taken and all Oglaigh are compelled to fully comply with these orders.
There is now an unprecedented opportunity to utilise the considerable energy and goodwill which there is for the peace process. This comprehensive series of unparalleled initiatives is our contribution to this and to the continued endeavours to bring about independence and unity for the people of Ireland.
P.O'Neill
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