TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 260

CONFIDENTIAL

talks, perhaps in New York, leading to a meeting with Kyprianou and Denktash in Nicosia. The ideas will present difficulties for both sides, but particularly the Greek Cypriots. Despite the Secretary General's request to keep the process confidential, leaks have occurred in the Greek Cypriot press.

Kyprianou consulted Papandreou and Karamanlis in Athens on 29 August and is under pressure from some parties in Cyprus, including the communists, to give a positive response. At present both sides are carefully avoiding making any public criticism. The UN Secretariat are pessimistic about making progress but say that the Secretary General is determined to persist.

28. Ireland

(a) The Galvin Affair

i

Martin Galvin, the Publicity Director of NORAID, flouted HMG's exclusion order by appearing at a Sinn Fein organised rally in Belfast on 12 August. The RUC attempted to arrest him, and in the ensuing riot, one man, Sean Downes, was killed and over twenty others were injured. The RUC's actions attracted widespread condemnation in the press. The Irish Government expressed concern. The Guardian published the gist of the ministerial correspondence on the question on 14 August. an interview, Mr Pior accepted that, with hindsight, the decision to exclude Galvin, for which he took full responsibility, was probably a mistake. Mr Prior's remarks soothed the Irish Government. An enquiry into the incident has been set up under RUC Deputy Chief Constable McAtamney.

(b) Kinsale Gas

In

The Irish showed no willingness to consider a serious renegotiation of the deal to supply gas to Northern Ireland from Kinsale in the Republic of Ireland. Instead,

Dr FitzGerald wrote to Mrs Thatcher asking if she were willing

to proceed on the terms envisaged in the Memorandum of Understanding

of October 1983. The Prime Minister ruled that this effectively meant that the deal was off. No one in Whitehall was disposed to re-open the question. The Prime Minister's response was delivered by HM Ambassador to Mr Barry (in the Taoiseach's absence) on 21 August. On instructions Mr Goodison sought Irish agreement on a joint announcement that the project had been cancelled. Mr Barry gave no indication that the Irish Government would co-operate in this. He said that the Taoiseach would have to consider Mrs Thatcher's reply on his return from holiday. This has not prevented the Irish from briefing the press to the effect that the British have torn up the agreement and cancelled the

project.

CONFIDENTIAL

/29. GCHQ