How UTV reported the Good Friday Agreement in 1998

How UTV reported the events of Easter 1998.

Good Friday 1998, April 10, was an historic day for Northern Ireland and, as you'd expect UTV was there to report on the events.

And 25 years ago the media landscape was very different - with no live online updates, tweets or Facebook Lives.

On the morning, UTV ran out a special programme - interrupting the regular schedule - as news filtered through of a potential deal in the offing.

Multi-party talks had resumed in June 1996, although there had been some form of dialogue dating back decades in a bid to end the Troubles.

Momentum picked up, first through John Major and then in 1997 when Tony Blair became Prime Minister. Speaking to UTV earlier in 2023, he said given his landslide victory he believed he had an opportunity to get involved in Irish politics and make a difference.

Back in the 1990s the talks - chaired by former US Senator George Mitchell and involving both Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern - frequently broke down.

They culminated in the two governments, Senator Mitchell and eight Northern Ireland political parties getting together ahead of the April 9 deadline and working through the night to find a deal.

However, not all were happy, with the DUP - the only major unionist party not to be involved - walking out in protest over the inclusion of Sinn Féin and the lack of decommissioning.

Finally on April 10, an agreement had been reached.

SDLP leader John Hume, hailed the historic day, he told UTV viewers it was "Good Friday and I think for the people of Northern Ireland it will be a very good Friday."

UTV covered all the day's events in a special extended programme in the evening, with the ever-changing events, presenter Mike Nesbitt had to remind those watching it was a "fluid" programme.

On Thursday, April 6, UTV broadcast a special programme on the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. You can also watch it on catch up.

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