ATTEMPTS BY dissident republicans to destabilise peace in Northern Ireland will fail, President Mary McAleese has said.
The “crass methodology of the so-called dissidents” was overtaken by a “radical and intelligent new dispensation”, she said, which fully acknowledged the legitimacy of the aspiration to a united Ireland – but only through peaceful means and with the consent of the people of both North and South.
This was enshrined in the Belfast Agreement, she noted.
In an article on the dissident threat in yesterday's nationalist Belfast-based Irish News, she said dissidents did not reflect the will of the people.
“What is worse, everything they do sullies that legitimate objective of uniting Ireland in the eyes of those who most need to be persuaded of its merits and makes its achievement less and less likely,” she said.
“Those who think they can drag us back into darkness should take serious note of the fact that despite a litany of gruesome acts of violence, the seed of peace has taken root strongly in many hearts once estranged from one another. Love is stronger than hate. It is as simple as that,” she added.
There was a message for the dissidents, she said.
“Your violent campaign will not succeed and it is long past the time to stop.”
The President said relationships within Northern Ireland and between North and South had improved considerably.
“Many of those who were actively involved in violence or who supported paramilitarism have become convinced champions of the peace process and of our collective power to build a society that cherishes peace, justice and diversity.”
President McAleese said there was a momentum behind the new dispensation.
“It is not easy or straightforward, but it is markedly better than anything which has preceded it. It offers hope and it offers that hope to everyone.
“Achieving a united Ireland is a mission that challenges us all in a spirit of love, mutual respect and peaceful dialogue to move mountains but, then again, who could have foretold the extent of the positive shifts in the political landscape that have already happened since the Good Friday Agreement?” she asked.
“However, one thing is dismally clear – unity will never be achieved by the powerful destroyer of hatred and violence.”
President McAleese said Ireland was now well on its way to a positive future of peace, equality and good neighbourliness.