Conference 2025
THE BRITISH-IRISH ASSOCIATION 2025 CONFERENCE
Conference Report
In the opening remarks of the conference, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, Chair of the BIA, said that at a difficult time and in a rapidly changing environment, every nation must think hard about how to move forward. This was one of the key themes of the conference: making progress in a co-operative and united manner.
Simon Harris TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of Defence, and the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, gave the opening speeches. Both welcomed a new chapter of cooperation between the UK and Ireland, the co-guarantors of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Tánaiste said that there were two areas central to addressing the unresolved wounds of the Troubles: tackling paramilitarism and finding a common way forward on the legacy of violence. The 2023 Legacy Act was not fit for purpose, and both Governments agreed on the need to repeal and reform it. Now they were close to reaching an agreed framework to deal with outstanding legacy issues.
(The full text of the Tánaiste's address is at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/speeches/t%c3%a1naistes-remarks-at-the-british-irish-association-conference-oxford-5-september-2025
The Secretary of State said that it had been an eventful twelve months since the last conference. Positive developments included the UK Government's reset of its relations with its European partners. The Government remained committed to the implementation of the Windsor Framework and would give full consideration to Lord Murphy's independent review of it. The Government has also worked to reset relations with the Northern Ireland Executive, to which the Secretary of State paid tribute. But there has also been the depressing rise of racist violence and disorder in Northern Ireland, and paramilitarism remains a scourge.
Like the Tánaiste, the Secretary of State acknowledged the pressing need to address the legacy of the past. Now that a way forward was within sight, courage was needed to take it.
(The full text of the Secretary of State's address is at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/secretary-of-states-speech-to-the-british-irish-association-conference-in-oxford)
The Tánaiste and the Secretary of State took questions together after their speeches, in a session chaired by Dominic Grieve.
The first talk of the following day was given by Bill Emmott, writer, consultant and former editor in chief of The Economist. In a sobering analysis of the present geopolitical situation he said that Britain, Ireland and Europe faced a shared difficulty: how to cope with the transatlantic rift. Blame for this fractured relationship could not be laid solely at America's feet; reduced military strength and Europe's technological and economic stagnation were part of the problem too. How long would the rupture last, how best can it be managed, and how can we prevent collateral damage to our other relationships, within and beyond Europe? However long the time frame, in Emmott's view Britain and Europe must stand up for Ukraine, resist American pressure to bow to the tech oligarchs, build a coalition of the willing to trade, and enhance the international institutions which uphold the rules-based order.
Taking up the question of partnerships for progress, John Healy, Chair of Invest Northern Ireland, said that progress was made when different forces aligned – universities, businesses and governments among them. Cross-regional collaboration was key.
To develop the theme of shared opportunities across these islands, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy, the Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, and Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Gaelic held a panel debate, chaired by Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan. Among the subjects they discussed were energy transition and cultural and sporting exchanges. The resounding message from this panel was the importance not only of working bilaterally but also trilaterally across the regions – and 'quadrilaterally' as well with the UK Government.
Later that day, the writers Sam McBride and Fintan O'Toole outlined the arguments for and against the unification of Ireland, the subject of their forthcoming book. Arguments for included geographical reality, recognising that partition has not worked, and the possibility of creating a nation 'greater than the sum of its parts'. Against those was the possibility of renewed violence, and the financial and social difficulties of uniting two very different welfare, finance and care systems. Their shared discussion was the starting point for a creative discussion between Northern Irish politicians, commentators and the audience. A conclusion was that a question as important as this had to be taken far beyond the conference: everyone on the island of Ireland deserves their say in visions for the future.
The Sunday morning of the conference began with an ecumenical service of prayer led by the Most Reverend Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. Drawing on a reading from Jeremiah, the archbishop urged those involved in shared decision making, policy formation and practical implementation "to remould the clay in the pottery of politics and to deflect us all from the shattering of the stuff that we need for tomorrow and the loss of which we know only when it is gone".
(The full text of the archbishop's sermon is at https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2025/09/08/remould-the-clay-in-the)
Professors Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid and Ian McBride then spoke on the study of history in Ireland and its potential to 'hurt or to heal'. Careful work by trained historians was vital to understanding past conflict, they said: amnesia is not a viable option. Mismemory is dangerous; taking on the task of the past is essential.
The visual artist Colin Davidson and the filmmaker James Bluemel made that point vividly in the last session of the conference, a shared conversation with Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Their work seeks to give a voice to ordinary people who have their own stories of suffering and loss during conflict, 'people who are paying the price for other people's peace'. It was a re-humanisation of individuals in response to the de-humanisation of war, in Roisin McDonough's words.
In closing the conference and thanking all those who had contributed to it, Dominic Grieve said the outlook for the relationships between these islands across the next few years was very positive.
Conference Report
In the opening remarks of the conference, the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, Chair of the BIA, said that at a difficult time and in a rapidly changing environment, every nation must think hard about how to move forward. This was one of the key themes of the conference: making progress in a co-operative and united manner.
Simon Harris TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of Defence, and the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, gave the opening speeches. Both welcomed a new chapter of cooperation between the UK and Ireland, the co-guarantors of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Tánaiste said that there were two areas central to addressing the unresolved wounds of the Troubles: tackling paramilitarism and finding a common way forward on the legacy of violence. The 2023 Legacy Act was not fit for purpose, and both Governments agreed on the need to repeal and reform it. Now they were close to reaching an agreed framework to deal with outstanding legacy issues.
(The full text of the Tánaiste's address is at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/speeches/t%c3%a1naistes-remarks-at-the-british-irish-association-conference-oxford-5-september-2025
The Secretary of State said that it had been an eventful twelve months since the last conference. Positive developments included the UK Government's reset of its relations with its European partners. The Government remained committed to the implementation of the Windsor Framework and would give full consideration to Lord Murphy's independent review of it. The Government has also worked to reset relations with the Northern Ireland Executive, to which the Secretary of State paid tribute. But there has also been the depressing rise of racist violence and disorder in Northern Ireland, and paramilitarism remains a scourge.
Like the Tánaiste, the Secretary of State acknowledged the pressing need to address the legacy of the past. Now that a way forward was within sight, courage was needed to take it.
(The full text of the Secretary of State's address is at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/secretary-of-states-speech-to-the-british-irish-association-conference-in-oxford)
The Tánaiste and the Secretary of State took questions together after their speeches, in a session chaired by Dominic Grieve.
The first talk of the following day was given by Bill Emmott, writer, consultant and former editor in chief of The Economist. In a sobering analysis of the present geopolitical situation he said that Britain, Ireland and Europe faced a shared difficulty: how to cope with the transatlantic rift. Blame for this fractured relationship could not be laid solely at America's feet; reduced military strength and Europe's technological and economic stagnation were part of the problem too. How long would the rupture last, how best can it be managed, and how can we prevent collateral damage to our other relationships, within and beyond Europe? However long the time frame, in Emmott's view Britain and Europe must stand up for Ukraine, resist American pressure to bow to the tech oligarchs, build a coalition of the willing to trade, and enhance the international institutions which uphold the rules-based order.
Taking up the question of partnerships for progress, John Healy, Chair of Invest Northern Ireland, said that progress was made when different forces aligned – universities, businesses and governments among them. Cross-regional collaboration was key.
To develop the theme of shared opportunities across these islands, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy, the Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, and Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Gaelic held a panel debate, chaired by Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan. Among the subjects they discussed were energy transition and cultural and sporting exchanges. The resounding message from this panel was the importance not only of working bilaterally but also trilaterally across the regions – and 'quadrilaterally' as well with the UK Government.
Later that day, the writers Sam McBride and Fintan O'Toole outlined the arguments for and against the unification of Ireland, the subject of their forthcoming book. Arguments for included geographical reality, recognising that partition has not worked, and the possibility of creating a nation 'greater than the sum of its parts'. Against those was the possibility of renewed violence, and the financial and social difficulties of uniting two very different welfare, finance and care systems. Their shared discussion was the starting point for a creative discussion between Northern Irish politicians, commentators and the audience. A conclusion was that a question as important as this had to be taken far beyond the conference: everyone on the island of Ireland deserves their say in visions for the future.
The Sunday morning of the conference began with an ecumenical service of prayer led by the Most Reverend Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. Drawing on a reading from Jeremiah, the archbishop urged those involved in shared decision making, policy formation and practical implementation "to remould the clay in the pottery of politics and to deflect us all from the shattering of the stuff that we need for tomorrow and the loss of which we know only when it is gone".
(The full text of the archbishop's sermon is at https://dublin.anglican.org/news/2025/09/08/remould-the-clay-in-the)
Professors Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid and Ian McBride then spoke on the study of history in Ireland and its potential to 'hurt or to heal'. Careful work by trained historians was vital to understanding past conflict, they said: amnesia is not a viable option. Mismemory is dangerous; taking on the task of the past is essential.
The visual artist Colin Davidson and the filmmaker James Bluemel made that point vividly in the last session of the conference, a shared conversation with Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Their work seeks to give a voice to ordinary people who have their own stories of suffering and loss during conflict, 'people who are paying the price for other people's peace'. It was a re-humanisation of individuals in response to the de-humanisation of war, in Roisin McDonough's words.
In closing the conference and thanking all those who had contributed to it, Dominic Grieve said the outlook for the relationships between these islands across the next few years was very positive.