THE 50 gentlemen of the British Irish Interparliamentary Body - and they are all gentlemen - gathered in Bath this week for their bi-annual meeting to discuss Anglo-Irish affairs. The British were led by MP Peter Temple Morris, who narrowly escaped deselection by the Tories of Leominster for being soft on Ireland. The Irish were represented by Cork FG deputy Paul Bradford.
On Monday night the Bath authorities threw a reception in the Assembly Rooms, a place of romance for Jane Austen perhaps but hardly for the politicians. There was a day-long debate on Tuesday and dinner that night in the Guildhall with Sir Patrick Mayhew. He flew into an RAF base that evening after a day at the talks, addressed the Body on Wednesday morning, took questions, flew back to the talks in Belfast and went home to London the same night. A not unusual schedule.
Sir Patrick was questioned closely on Drumcree. He likened what happened there to the burning of the British embassy in Dublin when the guards were helpless. This didn't go down too well with the Irish, but when he added bit happens from time to time, I understand there were some problems in Killarney yesterday," the atmosphere lightened a great deal.
PD Deputy Des O'Malley took issue with him later, however. He had been in charge in 1972 and to compare the two was entirely erroneous, he said.
The Irish parliamentarians flew into Bristol by chartered plane which was arranged when the Aer Lingus strike threatened, but the cost meant that many spouses were reluctantly left at home. Those who did travel joined a group of 25 wives who, while the men were engaged in heavy debate, toured nearby Longleat. The long-haired and bare-footed Marquess of Bath showed them his Kama Sutra room, with its erotic pictures and three-dimensional depictions of his "63 wifelettes".